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Spotlight - TE Dallas Clark, Indianapolis Colts

Posted on 8/6, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Jeff Pasquino's Thoughts

The Indianapolis Colts rode their high-powered offense to a championship last season, with both the passing and running offenses significantly contributing to the Colts' cause. The TE position was more of a forgotten one for Indianapolis during the season, led by starter Dallas Clark's 30 catches for 367 yards and four scores. Three Colts contributed at the position, with backups Ben Utecht and Bryan Fletcher adding to the cause. Clark was only able to go for 12 of the 16 regular season games after spraining his knee mid-season. Utecht picked up some of the slack and actually finished with more catches (37) and yards (377) than Clark. Even Fletcher added two scores, so the Colts did rather nicely in a team TE approach.

Dallas Clark returned to the lineup after his injury and then went on to dominate the postseason for the Colts, logging two 100+ yard games on the way to winning Super Bowl XLI. Clark collected 21 catches in four playoff games, 70% of his regular season total. With those numbers in nationally broadcasted games, Clark took on the spotlight and starter status. Few fantasy owners would look past Clark for much production, but that could be a tactical error.

There are more reasons to be concerned about Clark than just competition from his understudies. Clark's injury-ridden resume has at least one black mark for each of his four seasons, highlighted most recently by his ACL sprain. Clark has never played 16 games in a season, but when he does he can put up pretty good numbers. Clark has never had 40 catches in a single season nor has he ever finished as a Top 10 fantasy TE in his four years as a Colt.

Positives

• With the departure of a running back (Dominic Rhodes) and the third wide receiver (Brandon Stokley) from 2006, the passing game should be more of an emphasis for the Colts
• Clark has soft hands and makes the tough catches across the middle. He is often a favorite target for QB Peyton Manning in the red zone
• Clark has posted four career 100+ yard games in four seasons and added two more in the 2006 postseason, affording a fantasy owner with the possibility of a huge afternoon
• Clark posted more than 9 fantasy points in three out of 12 regular season games last year

Negatives

• Clark has a lot of "nevers" in his career. Never played 16 games. Never finished in the Top 10 for fantasy TEs. Never had 40 receptions
• Clark has not proven to be able to stay healthy. He broke his leg in 2003 and missed the second half of the season. In the 2004 season, Clark lost time for a strained calf muscle, a biceps strain, and a concussion, with almost the exact same set of injuries in 2005. His injury sheet got even longer last season, where he lost four games with a sprained ACL. This injury history cannot be discounted
• TEs Bryan Fletcher and Ben Utecht represent a definite threat to playing time for Dallas Clark. The impact may be more in receptions and yardage than touchdowns, but it will still be a setback for Clark's production.
• Two words -- Anthony Gonzalez. Yes, a rookie WR rarely contributes (Anquan Boldin and Marques Colston notwithstanding), but with the prior involvement of Brandon Stokley in the Indianapolis passing game his effect cannot be taken lightly

Final Thoughts

Despite being listed as the starting tight end for the Colts this season, the threat of both injuries and understudy TEs Ben Utecht and Bryan Fletcher make me very cautious about Clark's potential for 2007. Right now I would be second-guessing any fantasy draft that would net Dallas Clark as my team's first tight end. Yes, there is a distinct possibility that Clark can get you a 100-yard game with a touchdown, but there is a much larger probability that he will give you next to nothing. In 2006, Clark had six games (of 12 that he played) where he produced under five fantasy points -- hardly starter numbers. He has also never has 40 catches, never had 500 yards, and never been a Top 10 fantasy TE.

Despite all that, I think he has several good qualities such as a propensity for touchdowns and big games that make him more desirable as a TE option for when he is available to play. I like him far more in leagues that do not require a "start him or sit him" decision (like a Survivor league or a "best ball" league), but he is still a good option in redraft leagues. My predictions for Dallas Clark in 2007 are 38 catches, 475 yards and five scores. That would put him right on the cusp of a TE1, which is exactly where he has been for the past three years. Clark makes for a viable spot replacement and a solid second tight end, but I would look elsewhere for a starter.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

mlball77:
I like Clark and think he is a very good pass catching TE when healthy. I look for him to have a solid season this year. When Clark returned from his injury and produced big numbers in the playoffs last season (two 100 yd games), he showed me he can post numbers for Indy.

Iwannabeacowboybaby!:
I think that Dallas Clark by some is the most overrated fantasy TE in the league. He's NEVER played a full 16 game season and he's NEVER finished in the top 10 in fantasy rankings. What he does have is Peyton Manning throwing him the ball so that alone will get him drafted along with the fact many of the non-shark players have now heard of many of the Colt offensive players, making him even more of a target when you get past the top TEs in fantasy football.

Sleeper 43:
Just getting down to the basic Dallas has been consistent when given looks while healthy. I'm not guaranteeing top 10 but i think its natural to expect Dallas to be used a little more each season until he becomes an official weapon. Even Reggie Wayne didn't come out of the gates an official weapon, took him a couple seasons to earn more looks. Dallas hasn't done anything skill wise to think he cant be a top 10 TE, I believe its just a matter of staying healthy and having more opportunity, which I again I think can be earned over time. So far the numbers look like that's been the case if you add in games missed.

Dallas Clark Projections