Tony Scheffler Fantasy News

Saturday, August 7, 2010, 3:48pm

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew tore an anterior cruciate ligament on Thanksgiving Day 2009. A little more than eight months later, Pettigrew was back on the field doing much more than what many would have expected. He's practicing at least once per day and participating in some contact drills, even while wearing a brace on his knee.

If he has a hitch in his gait, it's barely noticeable. And on at least one play this week, Pettigrew displayed enough speed to get past linebacker Julian Peterson and catch a nice seam pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford.

"He's had a really good rehab and we don't want to set him back by trying to do too much too soon," Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz said.

At this rate, it seems quite reasonable to expect Pettigrew to be ready for a significant role in the season-opening game at Soldier Field. That has to be the best-case scenario the Lions could have imagined when the injury first occurred.

Lions TE Brandon Pettigrew is big part of offense
Thursday, August 5, 2010, 8:05pm

TE Brandon Pettigrew took off down the middle of the field, cut slightly to his left and turned back toward his quarterback some 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. One defender hung on his back, another was sprinting toward his front.

Matthew Stafford still managed to squeeze a tight spiral in between the defenders, hitting Pettigrew's outstretched hands.

"It was man-on-man, (Stafford) checked, and we made a play," Pettigrew said.

It was the kind of completion the Lions envisioned when they drafted the tight end in the first round (20th overall) last year, and the kind of play they saw before Pettigrew tore up his knee during the Thanksgiving game.

RB Kevin Smith & TE Brandon Pettigrew Back On Practice Field
Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 10:33am

RB Kevin Smith (right knee) and TE Brandon Pettigrew (left knee) have progressed as scheduled this offseason, and were far enough along in their recovery to take part in team drills during June's mini-camp.

Both said they should be 100 percent medically cleared by the end of the month, but the Lions are going to bring them along slowly. Team officials also made sure they had a backup plan in place -- they traded for veteran TE Tony Scheffler and drafted RB Jahvid Best .

In Smith's case, this year (his third) is a make or break season, especially with Best on board. Last season was a tough one for Smith physically (shoulders, knee injuries) and performance-wise (747 yards, four TDs). He rushed for 100 yards just once.

Pettigrew, however, was coming into his own with 15 catches in three games before his injury. The Lions are hoping to run more two tight end sets, and how quickly Pettigrew returns will be key in the implementation.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010, 11:30am

Lions tight end Tony Scheffler knows that team chemistry is a big deal. And Scheffler should know all about big deals, since he is one himself.

The 6-foot-5 product of Western Michigan and Chelsea High was one of the big acquisitions this off-season in a three-way trade that brought him from Denver and sent linebacker Ernie Sims to Philadelphia.

Scheffler is just one of many important pieces of the Lions' puzzle as they try to fit established veterans like him with promising young players. Developing that chemistry can be tricky, but Scheffler knows it's crucial.

"It's real important," he said. "I think team chemistry goes a long way, especially when you get to Weeks 15, 16, 17, towards the end of the year. It's the difference between winning those tight ball games and folding in the second half.

"So I think everyone knowing each other and having relationships not only on the field but off and developing chemistry is a good thing."

So far, so good. Scheffler looked very much in sync with quarterback Matthew Stafford in minicamp as the two hooked up for passes that led to big gains.

Friday, July 2, 2010, 11:08am

Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew, recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, will be medically cleared to resume full activities this month. He's eager to start assimilating himself into the offense when the Lions start camp July 31.

"We are doing a lot of different stuff and we've added a few pieces to our offense, and it's definitely important to go ahead and mix it together and see what works together and just get in there together," he said.

The Lions likely will bring Pettigrew along slowly. But if they want to run the two tight end sets as much as they are planning, they'll need to get Pettigrew into form quickly.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010, 3:05pm

Brandon Pettigrew has looked good in off-season workouts but isn't close to being cleared for contact. The Lions will likely put him on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of training camp and then assess his rehab before activating him. The addition of veteran Tony Scheffler gives the Lions a little cushion, but they're planning to run a lot of two-tight end formations in their offense so they'll want Pettigrew back as soon as possible.

Blocking was the one part of Pettigrew's game that was unquestioned coming out of college. He has the size, the feet and the attitude needed to be effective in the running game. The issue is going to be whether the knee injury robbed him of any speed and how long it'll take to get back where he was in November of last year.

Monday, June 7, 2010, 12:05pm

The odd man out in the Lions' passing game appears to be WR Bryant Johnson, who failed to complement WR Calvin Johnson effectively in his first season in Detroit last season.

The Lions are planning to use more two-TE formations — possibly as their base formation — which would flex out a tight end (likely Tony Scheffler a lot) as the de facto third receiver.

Calvin Johnson's In A Good Mood
Saturday, May 22, 2010, 2:10pm

Star wide receiver Calvin Johnson has been frustrated with the losing ways of the Detroit Lions, but after Detroit made a series of moves to boost the talent around him, Johnson is happy.

"You see all the pieces coming together," Johnson said. "We're bigger, we're faster. We're going to be able to spread the ball around."

Johnson's new sidekicks include rookie running back Jahvid Best, wide receiver Nate Burleson, and tight end Tony Scheffler. Plus quarterback Matthew Stafford should continue to mature in 2010 as he enters his second season.

Saturday, April 24, 2010, 9:31am

Josh McDaniels said Friday night the player most likely to replace Tony Scheffler at the Broncos’ “receiving” tight end position is Marquez Branson. Undrafted last year out of Central Arkansas, the 6-2, 241-pound Branson spent his entire rookie season on the Broncos’ practice squad.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:37pm

The recent trade for veteran tight end Tony Scheffler (which the Lions still aren't acknowledging because it isn't "official' yet), there was some question about the rehab of Brandon Pettigrew. The second-year tight end suffered a torn knee ligament during the Thanksgiving Day game last year.

"He's a long-term rehab, along with Kevin Smith and Jack Williams,'' Schwartz said. "They're all making good progress. It's hard to say on schedule because theirs is a much longer rehab than Matt's. We'll know a lot more when we get to training camp and whether they're really on schedule. Every one of those rehabs is a little bit different, they're not the same and you can't compare one to the other. Every one of those ACLs is a little bit different. But (Pettigrew) hasn't had any setbacks, he's been doing a good job with rehab. He's moving around, he's catching the ball and stuff like that, but he's not running full speed - and won't be until training camp.''

Schwartz said the reason he won't be running full speed is because he doesn't have to and there's no point in accelerating the process.

"We don't play any games this week and we don't play any in May or June. There's a right way to do that rehab,'' he said.

Lions have big plans for TEs Scheffler and Pettigrew
Monday, April 19, 2010, 7:18pm

According to a source close to the situation, the Detroit Lions plan to make tight end Tony Scheffler a big part of their offense, not only for this season but for many years beyond.

The addition of Scheffler gives the Lions a potent two-tight end attack that will be used to take pressure off receiver Calvin Johnson. The formation will limit what defenses can do in the middle of the field to shift coverages toward Johnson.

Scheffler will be used as a tight end and as a third receiver -- similar to how the Indianapolis Colts use Dallas Clark.

If the offense clicks like the coaching staff hopes, the Lions are expected to approach Scheffler during the season about signing a long-term deal to stay in Detroit.

Lions trade LB Sims to PHI, get TE Scheffler from DEN
Monday, April 19, 2010, 4:19pm

According to multiple reports, the Detroit Lions have shipped linebacker Ernie Sims to the Philadelphia Eagles, who will trade a fifth-round draft pick to the Denver Broncos, who will then send veteran tight end Tony Scheffler (and a seventh-round pick) to the Lions.

The Broncos were very interested in unloading TE Tony Scheffler. He wasn’t a fit for the Broncos’ system, but the pass catcher will be another nice weapon for young QB Matt Stafford in Detroit.

The Lions end up parting with Sims — who has playmaking ability on a defense that badly needs explosion — and come away with Scheffler and a seventh-round pick. The immediate question is if they got a tight end because Brandon Pettigrew, a first rounder in 2009, is not recovering well from surgery. According to a league source, Pettigrew is doing very well, but the Lions are looking for weapons of all sorts, and could use two tight ends with some regularity. Also, there was a sense that Sims was not a fit for the scheme they were running (he was drafted before Jim Schwartz took over the defense), and with him seeking a new contract, they were willing to trade the former first-round selection. (From NFL.com)

Friday, April 16, 2010, 3:23pm

Broncos TE Tony Scheffler and QB Kyle Orton have signed their one-year RFA tenders with the team.

Sources: Marshall late for therapy
Sunday, January 3, 2010, 7:39pm

Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels decided to bench wide receiver Brandon Marshall for the regular-season finale after he was late to a scheduled therapy session with the Denver medical staff for treatment of a hamstring injury the team already believed he was exaggerating, according to multiple team sources.

Both Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler have been advised they will not be permitted on the sideline or in the locker room when the Broncos play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in a game with playoff implications. It is the team's policy not to allow inactive players on the sideline or in the locker room.

Broncos Inactives (Marshall, Royal OUT)
Sunday, January 3, 2010, 3:43pm

Tom Brandstater QB
Britton Colquitt P
Brandon Marshall WR
Eddie Royal WR
Tony Carter CB
Lamont Jordan RB
Tony Scheffler TE