RADIO
This breakouts and busts series will run all through fantasy football draft prep season. We'll be counting down from 10 for the top breakouts and busts from the 2013 fantasy football season. We previously looked at Julian Edelman (7), Zach Stacy (8), Ryan Matthews (9), and Michael Floyd (10).
Biggest Fantasy Football Breakouts - #6
The tight end position has evolved in the NFL to the point where a tight end can be the most valuable player on the team outside of the quarterback. If Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski were to miss an extended period of time, their offenses would be nowhere near as effective as they would be with them in the lineup, as evidenced by the Patriots ineffectiveness when Gronk missed time due to his multiple injuries. Jordan Cameron certainly is not on the same level as these two superstars, but he is trending in the right direction. After his first full season as a starter, he has entrenched himself as one of the top fantasy weapons at the tight end position.
Cameron is an athletic 6’5’’, 245lb beast that boasts similar tools to wide receivers. He came out of USC in 2011 as a weak prospect who could only truly reach his potential if he improved upon his blocking, route running, and body frame. The Browns took a chance on him as a weapon to add to their miniscule arsenal of Greg Little, Josh Cribbs, Ben Watson and Mohamed Massaquoi. Cameron was expected to develop as a third tight end behind Evan Moore throughout the season.
Enter 2013, a new generation for the Browns was beginning, led by unpromising 30 year old sophomore QB Brandon Weeden, surrounded by the likes of breakout candidates like wide receivers Josh Gordon and Greg Little, running back Trent Richardson and Cameron. It took only one game for Cameron to show what type of pro he can become.
The Stats
Cameron had a huge breakout season for the Browns. He ranked 2nd in reception yards for tight ends with 917 and 6th in touchdowns with 7. He had two 100 yard games as well as a huge three touchdown game versus Minnesota. Cameron was the 3rd most targeted tight end with 118 targets, and 3rd in receptions with 80. He also missed one game with a concussion.
The Analysis
This was a true breakout year for a player that many scouts and experts predicted would not make an impact in the NFL. Cameron is the prototypical size-speed mismatch that many teams now covet at the tight end position. Entering his third season in the NFL, Cameron was finally given the chance to show what he can bring to the table. The Browns utilized him in a variety of different ways, and were definitely not afraid to send him deep. Cameron benefited greatly from the coaching of Norv Turner, Cameron’s offensive coordinator. Turner coached a similar player in Antonio Gates for years, and was able to use him in a similar way to create mismatches in the middle of the field. Cameron was also frequently used as a red zone target, as he was the only true option outside of Gordon. Another note is that Cameron only had 2 drops on his 118 total targets, a phenomenal figure.
2014 Fantasy Football Outlook
There is no denying Cameron’s talent. He is still a work in progress, as he is still not a completely polished route runner. His blocking is suspect at best, which could be a detriment when Cleveland is able to sustain more leads as their team improves (if they improve). Josh Gordon will always be the top target for the Browns, which will certainly keep defenses from focusing on Cameron. The recent draft is going to be the true deciding factor in how Cameron can be valued for the coming year. Brian Hoyer, is the starting quarterback for now. In the two full games that Hoyer fully played, Cameron averaged a whopping 78 yards and had 4 touchdowns with 16 receptions. With Hoyer as the quarterback, Cameron could be in for an even bigger year, as Hoyer showed total trust with him, including in the red zone. However, now that the Browns drafted Johnny Manziel we must wait and see how much playing time he can grab and how that will impact Cameron's season. The last question surrounding Cameron is the new coaching staff. Cameron is certainly going to miss Norv Turner, a tight end guru of sorts. New offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan should still be a positive for Cameron, however, as he has worked with the likes of Chris Cooley, Fred Davis and most recently Jordan Reed.
If the Browns stick with Hoyer and don’t draft Sammy Watkins, it is safe to say that Cameron should be a top 5 tight end this coming year. There are only two tight ends that have a higher upside than him in 2014: Jimmy Graham and Vernon Davis. We can expect Cameron to achieve similar results to last year at the very least, and anticipate a 1000 yard season for Cameron with the possibility of double digit touchdowns. Outside of his one concussion, he has proven to be durable and a complete nightmare for any defense.
For dynasty owners, the time to buy Cameron was last year. He is a fantasy star in the making, and the evolution of Josh Gordon will only make him more valuable and consistent in the coming years. Jimmy Graham is the only tight end currently in the league that has a better 5 year prospect than Cameron (Gronkowski’s injury history makes him far too suspect).
