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If you were among the many who wondered why TE Kevin Boss wasn’t used more in the passing game as a receiving target, TE Coach Mike Pope has some answers about htat and some other things tight-end related.

Q: You haven’t really had a consistent second tight end in some time. How important is it to find that guy?
A: You always want to have as many good blockers as you can find. I think in our offense, if we can find a guy who can block consistently, that will help Kevin’s game. If we can release him from out in space a little more and not have him fight his way off the line of scrimmage from beside the tackle position, I think it would help him in getting more production from him and might make him a more effective blocker when he does block.

Q: Tell me what you have seen so far from Bear Pascoe, who’s competing to be that blocking tight end with Scott Chandler and rookie Jake Ballard.
A: He is, categorically, a throwback type of player. He’s very tough and very physical from what we can determine so far. He played a little bit at the end of the year, so seeing in training camp will be more telling. He’s an ardent learner, he tries to use the techniques that I teach, and he works hard at it, and he’s made some very good progress.

Q: Is it fair to say that last year given the injuries on the offensive line and to the fullback, that Kevin Boss was asked to do a little more blocking than perhaps you had planned?
A: Yeah, I think that would be a fair statement.

Q: Travis Beckum isn’t a traditional tight end, he’s not a receiver. What exactly is he in this offense?
A: Travis is going to be more of a space guy so if he and Kevin are in there simultaneously, he’s going to have to be enough of a blocker so that Kevin just doesn’t leave the point of attack all the time, and people figure, ‘Oh this is where they’re going to run.’ “If that happens, that enables us to use Beckum more like the Colts have used Dallas Clark, and we can get more production from the passing game and not just five-, six-, or seven-yard gains.