After the Cleveland Browns let talented yet injury-prone tight end Jordan Cameron sign with the Miami Dolphins, they signed Rob Housler to help fill the void. The athletic Housler has been viewed as a player with potential, but was recently stuck in an Arizona system regarded as being unfriendly to tight ends. Can Housler give a fledgling Cleveland passing game a shot in the arm?
Fantasy Upside
Two of the other prominent tight ends on the Cleveland roster, Gary Barnidge and Jim “Doctor” Dray, are role players. Dray's largely a blocker and Barnidge, who was drafted back in 2008 by Carolina, has just 44 career receptions. The Browns have some quantity at wide receiver, but the quality is questionable. And although the Browns want a run-dominated offense, the early struggles of their young running backs and the fact they will be regularly playing from behind may dictate more passing.
Fantasy Downside
Houlser's head coach for the last two seasons in Arizona was highly-regarded Bruce Arians and it is true that tight ends in his scheme focus more on blocking than receiving. However, when Arians was offensive coordinator of the Steelers in 2009, Heath Miller caught 76 passes and scored six touchdowns. The odds are quite good Arians did not believe in Housler. You have to figure Arians would have made some adjustments to incorporate Houlser into the offense if he thought he was a special talent or even merely a good one, as Miller is not a superstar. And there are signs the Browns may already be losing faith in Housler. He was third on their initial depth chart and there have been hints he may be cut down before the regular season starts. Maybe Housler can right the ship, but even if he does, Cleveland's quarterback situation is troublesome. And in four NFL seasons, Housler has just one touchdown.
Bottom Line
Housler is undraftable. At best, he will be worth claiming off waivers in deeper leagues later in the season.
Wildcard Weekend – Rob Housler vs. Carolina
Rob Housler had one catch for 20 yards last week against the 49ers, but he’s being challenged by Darren Fells for targets and snaps and he still sits behind John Carlson on the depth chart as well. That doesn’t bode well for a player who already is on a team down to their third quarterback. Housler shouldn’t be active in any fantasy leagues this week.
Week 17 – Rob Housler vs. San Francisco
Rob Housler had one catch for 13 yards last week, and the Cardinals have been trying to get him the ball on screens out of the backfield occasionally in recent weeks. That’s still not enough to make him a viable fantasy option however, and he’s slowly getting passed up by Darren Fells for the TE2 spot on the depth chart. His fantasy value is minimal, and owners should leave Housler on waivers.
Week 15 – Rob Housler vs. St. Louis
Rob Housler had a 20 yard reception last week against the Chiefs, but there’s no reason to expect he’ll continue to get looks like that enough to warrant serious fantasy consideration. Housler should remain on waivers.
Week 14 – Rob Housler vs. Kansas City
Rob Housler failed to catch a pass last week against the Falcons and he remains second on the depth chart. He should remain on waivers permanently, as it seems highly unlikely that he’ll suddenly become a viable fantasy option in Arizona.
Week 13 – Rob Housler vs. Atlanta
Rob Housler was targeted once last week but failed to catch a pass and he remains an afterthought in the Cardinals offense behind veteran journeyman John Carlson on the depth chart. Fantasy owners should steer clear of Housler, who doesn’t seem like he’ll ever put together the raw talent he has. Leave him on waivers.
Week 12 – Rob Housler vs. Seattle
Rob Housler had a 27 yard reception against Detroit last week, but he remains a backup tight end for the Cardinals, on a team that hasn’t made big use of the tight end position in two seasons. Fantasy owners should leave Housler on waivers for the foreseeable future.
Week 11 – Rob Housler vs. Detroit
Rob Housler caught one of two passes thrown his way last week against the Rams and he should be considered a very low end backup TE until he proves otherwise. While demonstrating athletic ability early in his career, Housler has failed to live up to expectations thus far and fantasy owners should leave him on waivers.
Week 10 – Rob Housler vs. St. Louis
Rob Housler didn’t catch a pass last week and he remains in a backup role in Arizona behind John Carlson. He seems to be fending off rookie Troy Niklas on the depth chart, but he hasn’t done anything worth noting for fantasy owners, and he should remain on the waiver wire.
Week 9 – Rob Housler vs. Dallas
Rob Housler didn’t catch a pass last week but he seems to be getting more snaps than rookie Troy Niklas, which bodes well for his roster spot, but still doesn’t make much of a difference for fantasy owners. Housler remains behind John Carlson in the starting lineup and the TE position hasn’t been fantasy relevant in Arizona for years. There’s no reason to add Housler to your fantasy roster at this point.
