Greg Olsen's statistics certainly back up the concern he had last offseason after Mike Martz was hired as offensive coordinator.
Olsen knew tight ends had not played big roles for Martz and he shared concerns with management when talk of a trade first surfaced. Now, after he has caught 41 passes for 404 yards and five touchdowns, Olsen feels better even though 20 tight ends put up more impressive receiving numbers this season.
"I didn't have as many catches but I had as many impact plays if not more key catches, third downs, touchdowns, whatever the case," Olsen said. "I contribute in the running game, pass protection in the backfield, blitz pickup, so it's not always about stats.
"This year kind of opened my eyes to that. In the past, I wanted to catch the ball more. This year, 'Hey, you can be a tight end and have a huge impact on the game and maybe only catch one or two passes.' There is no doubt I am a better all-around player."
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