Sophomore wide receiver Cam Sims is a potential solution at tight end for Washington, a team with quite possibly the weakest tight end group in the NFL. Starter Logan Thomas has been inefficient with his high volume, posting a 52 percent catch rate, which ranks 203rd among all pass-catchers in the NFL. Backup Jeremy Sprinkle is strictly a blocking tight end who is a non-factor in the passing game. Third-stringer Temarrick Hemingway isn’t someone to count on as a 27-year old former sixth-round pick. While most observers might believe that Washington should address tight end through the draft or free agency, the solution is already on the roster. The coaching staff would be wise to convert Cam Sims to tight end. In this article, we’ll take a look at Sims’ player profile, college stats, and current production to prove why he could thrive at tight end.
Why Cam Sims Is a Potential Solution at the Tight End Position for Washington
Player Profile
When you look at Sims’ profile, you come away feeling a bit underwhelmed for a wide receiver. According to Player Profiler, Sims runs a 4.64 40-yard dash with a 53rd-percentile speed score, 40th-percentile burst score, and 24th-percentile burst score. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described Sims as a receiver who has “physical traits” but “struggles with separation, contested catches, and route running.” This type of profile makes it easy to see why he was undrafted back in 2018. At the same time, his 6’4″, 220-pound frame makes him an intriguing prospect, particularly if he was moved to tight end, where his 4.64 speed would become an asset. His struggles with route running and contested catches make it difficult to make plays on the perimeter, but this could change in the slot.
College Stats
| Year | Games | REC | YDS | Y/R | TD |
| 2014 | 4 | 7 | 62 | 8.9 | 1 |
| 2015 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 7.7 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6 | 14 | 152 | 10.9 | 0 |
| 2017 | 11 | 14 | 207 | 14.8 | 1 |
Sims struggled for playing time in his four years at Alabama, as the team was stacked at wide receiver, including players like Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs during this four-year span. This thrust Sims into a special-teams role, where he excelled as a blocker. Sims was supposed to compete for a starting role in 2015 following Cooper’s departure, but that opportunity was lost due to an ACL injury. The special-teams experience in college and now with Washington have helped develop Sims’ blocking skills, which would help ease the potential transition to tight end. This is a player who has played with a high motor and shown a willingness to block throughout his career.
Current Production
| Game | TGT | REC | YDS | Y/R | TD |
| W9, 2020 | 4 | 3 | 110 | 36.7 | 0 |
| W7, 2020 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 22 | 1 |
| W6, 2020 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
Sims is coming off a career game against the Giants, catching three of four targets for 110 yards and a touchdown.
He showed off his ability to get downfield on this wheel route:
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Fake bubble screen here by Washington. Giants DBs bite up on the fake screen, Cam Sims left wide open on his wheel route. Smith finds him down the sideline for a big gain. <a href=”https://t.co/U7vCOCmvhn”>pic.twitter.com/U7vCOCmvhn</a></p>— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) <a href=”https://twitter.com/MarkBullockNFL/status/1325526759874424851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
He also demonstrated impressive YAC:
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Cam Sims with a 100 yard game 🔥 <a href=”https://t.co/3wZoJD0wjc”>pic.twitter.com/3wZoJD0wjc</a></p>— Alabama DieHards (@AlabamaDieHards) <a href=”https://twitter.com/AlabamaDieHards/status/1325539654175690753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 8, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Sims has a chance to see his role grow as the season progresses because of a lack of trustworthy options in the passing game outside of Terry McLaurin.
Outlook
It’s clear that Sims has the talent and work ethic to stay on this Washington roster. Even though the team clearly has a need at wide receiver, tight end should be the focus for Sims going forward. The coaching staff can use him similarly to how the Miami Dolphins use Mike Gesicki: as a big-slot receiver. Perhaps Sims could use the upcoming off-season to add some bulk to become more suitable for tight end. This is a clear weakness on the Washington roster, so a position change would be optimal here. Sims has all the traits needed to be the potential solution at tight end for this football team.
