While I had hoped that Ecker become the stealth red zone target that we sorely lacked in 2006, I'd be just fine if he developed into a blocking tight end. He's been trying to put on weight to fit whatever role will get him on the roster and has done an admirable job to that end thus far, per the Times Dispatch (with a hat tip to ES):
The running game always works better when the tight end is sealing off would-be tacklers.
Ecker, who already is 19 pounds heavier than his college playing weight (250 then, 269 now) is smart enough to figure out his assignments. He was a two-time academic all-Big Ten Conference player at Michigan.
It's possible to find blocking tight ends in the draft's later rounds. One of the best in Redskins history was Don Warren, now a pro personnel evaluator for Washington, who was taken in the fourth round of the 1979 draft.