The Atlanta Falcons understand they are on borrowed time with tight end Tony Gonzalez. Thankful to have him back from at least one more season, the team is slowly prepping an heir to the Gonzalez throne. Mike Smith and team convinced the future Hall of Famer to return for another year with the Super Bowl-contending Falcons, but are making sure they have someone in place should this be his last.
Gonzalez has been a huge asset to the Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan. Last season, the tight end starter all 16 games, recording 93 catches for 930 yards and eight touchdowns. It was his best season since 2008 when he put up 1,058 yards. With Gonzalez a lock for the Hall of Fame, he is a difficult player to replace when the time comes. The Falcons have already started the process, drafting a young tight end to learn under Gonzalez, as well as bringing in a few to make the position group slightly crowded.
Levine Toilolo will be the first player expected to try and fill the large shoes that will be left by Gonzalez. The Falcons drafted the Stanford tight end in the fourth round of this year's draft and he is expected to be a large part of the future of the Falcons. Standing at 6-foot-8, Toilolo is hard to miss on the field as the tallest tight end currently on an NFL roster. His size alone will make him a nightmare matchup for defenses in the red zone.
"Obviously, his efficiency in the redzone is well documented," head coach Mike Smith said. "To throw the ball to a guy in the red zone, you want to make sure he's going to catch the ball. I think that kind of says what kind of hands he has."
Tommy Gallarda is another tight end looking to make a name for himself as a possible starter in 2014. He was primarily a blocking tight end for the Falcons last season and played well in his first nine games before ending his season early with a shoulder injury. Chase Coffman comes to the Falcons from the Bengals. He has offered a few noteworthy catches for the Falcons, but his ability to block is not great. Andrew Szczerba and Colin Coherty round out the position group.
While Gonzalez will be on the field for the 2013 season, the year after is completely up for grabs. After a string of offseason practices, the spot as backup appears to be Toilolo's job. With his size and skills, the Falcons could have a real star on their hands for the future.
