Demetrius Harris faces more competition at backup tight end

This year’s contenders to knock off Demetrius Harris as the Kansas City Chiefs’ backup tight end are Jace Amaro and Tim Wright.

The Kansas City Chiefs once again have plenty of competition for the tight end slots behind starter Travis Kelce. Demetrius Harris has held the TE2 spot for the better part of three seasons. However, Harris has had serious issues with drops, as well as off-the-field issues that are seldom talked about.

This offseason, Harris served jail time after reaching a plea deal when charged with one count of marijuana possession and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. Whoops. Mistakes like that will end up leading to your release from a team. Given the problems with drops, I’m sure Brett Veach would have no problem releasing the young tight end if the Chiefs have good options to turn to instead.

Here is a look at the tight ends on the Chiefs roster:

• Travis Kelce
• Demetrius Harris
• Tim Wright
• Jace Amaro
• Alex Ellis

This is a good crop at the tight end position, and the Chiefs need one of them to stand out to be the guy behind Travis Kelce.

Jace Amaro

Amaro is a former second round pick out of Texas Tech University. He had a fantastic college career as a Red Raider, compiling 1,800 receiving yards with 13 TDs in his 3 year career. NFL teams saw Amaro as one of the top tight ends in the draft. While he had questions of character and was criticized for a lack of speed, he was taken by the Jets in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Amaro had a very quiet rookie season. With Geno Smith throwing him the ball, he caught 38 balls for 345 yards and 2 touchdowns. While this is a respectable stat line for a rookie, his first season did not live up to his draft hype as the pass catcher he was slated to be. After injuries further limited him from breaking out, the Jets released him before the start of the 2016 season.

Going over Amaro’s film, there’s a lot to like about the 2- year-old tight end. In his time with the Jets, he showed a lot of promise, especially since his quarterback was Geno Smith. Being able to fight through contact and gain extra yardage is what coaches want, and Amaro was relied on for this time and time again with the Jets. He has good hands and is able to make tough catches, which is indicative of his 1,000 yard receiving year at Texas Tech. Amaro’s best quality is his ability to run after the catch.

Here’s a look at his most productive season:

After a short stint with the Titans in 2016, Amaro was released and has not played a regular season snap since. However, Amaro has yet to show the attributes that had him so highly touted in the 2014 FNL Draft. Amaro has been labeled a bust thus far in his career, but he could prove his doubters wrong by earning the number 2 spot behind Travis Kelce this coming season.

Tim Wright

On the other hand, Tim Wright is a bit more established than Amaro has been. While he hasn’t played in the league since 2015, Wright has a history of being a redzone threat with 13 TDs from 2013-2015. Wright is a player who loves finding the endzone, and the Chiefs will need all of the help in that department that they can get.

Wright is a 6th year pro out of Rutgers University. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but has never really stuck with any particular team. Like Amaro, Wright’s best season came in his rookie year, in which he had 54 catches for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The Chiefs are looking for pass catching players at the skills position, and Tim Wright gives them more than just receptions. Wright is a skilled route runner, and at 6’4″ and 245 pounds, Wright has a quick burst and can make hard cuts to get separation, which shows in his 10.2 yards per catch career average.

The only thing with Wright is that he hasn’t played a regular season snap since the 2015 season, due to the fact that he tore his ACL before the 2016 season. He has a lot of catching up to do in terms of learning the playbook and rediscovering his abilities. However, Wright has been productive in his career in terms of reaching the end zone, which drew the Chiefs’ attention.

Then again, Wright opened his own barber shop in 2016, so he may just be signed to give our friends in Kansas City a grade A haircut.

So, which one will stick?

It is hard to tell who will be left when the smoke clears. However, both of these young tight ends are talented enough that they may just be able to make the roster come August. Demetrius Harris has been okay for the Chiefs, however a stable backup with less baggage is needed to hold the fort when Kelce is on the sidelines.

Amaro may have spent his first few years in the NFL as a  journeyman looking for a place to stay, but he has ability as a pass catcher and as a blocker. While he may not look the part yet, Amaro could finally get over the injury hump and live up to his full potential coming out of Texas Tech.

As for Wright, he has experience playing in an offense with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Tom Brady, and has a knack for finding the end zone. Wright is an athletic freak and possesses good route running. Look for Jace Amaro and Tim Wright to make an impression on the coaches in camp this summer, as both have proven to be pass catchers in their careers.

The Chiefs will need stability at every position on offense for Mahomes to succeed, and the number 2 tight end spot is the last piece to the puzzle. A change may be coming behind Travis Kelce.