Star tight end a key keeper for Atlanta
ATLANTA -- Turns out his game-winning touchdown catch wasn't the only thing Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler celebrated Sunday.
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The four-year veteran, regarded as the premier tight end in the NFC and perhaps the best player overall at his position in the league, signed a six-year contract extension Monday that will keep him with the Falcons and off the 2005 free agency market. The extension is worth about $27 million and includes guaranteed money in the $9 million to $10 million range.
Falcons officials have made no secret of the importance of retaining Crumpler, who would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring had the extension not been completed. It is likely that, absent an extension, Atlanta would have considered designating Crumpler a franchise player.
On-and-off negotiations have stretched over several months. The Falcons are believed to have substantially increased their offer from where it was a month or so ago.
Crumpler, 26, is an emerging star in the league and was chosen for his first Pro Bowl game in 2003. In what is becoming the NFL's "year of the tight end," he has emerged as the go-to receiver for Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick, and that was evident again Sunday, when Crumpler had four catches for 103 yards.
"[Tony] Gonzalez was up here and everybody else [among tight ends] was down here," Butch Williams, Crumpler's North Carolina-based agent, told a news conference. "But Alge showed from week to week to week that there wasn't much difference between the second guy and the first guy. Every week, he was helping his team win games. Every week, Vick was throwing to him. His value started to rise."
That included the game-winning 20-yard touchdown catch against New Orleans with 1:22 remaining. Crumpler made both big plays on the two-snap drive, preceding his touchdown grab with a 27-yard reception. He has developed an undeniable synergy with Vick and clearly flourished in the offense installed by coordinator Greg Knapp.
"I have accomplished a lot of things individually," Crumpler said. "But I've never been on a championship team. I want to be the type of guy that the other guys lean on."
For the season, Crumpler has 43 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Falcons in all three categories. The former North Carolina star already has posted career bests in all three receiving categories this season.
He has 16 receptions for 20 yards or more, the most in the NFL by a tight end. All four of his catches against the Saints were for 20 yards or more.
"Guys like Alge and Gonzalez have shown that size along with speed and athleticism is a very tough matchup for any defense," coach Jim Mora said. "If you try to cover them with a linebacker, they're going to have a speed and athleticism advantage. If you try to cover them with a defensive back, who would typically have better speed, then the size becomes a mismatch."
A second-round choice in the 2001 draft, Crumpler has 148 catches for 2,046 yards and 17 touchdowns in 59 career appearances, including 48 starts. "I always said the best hands I ever saw belonged to Cris Carter," Mora said. "Well, those are the kind of hands that Alge has. He just swallows the ball. He engulfs it. You're not going to see a big man catch the ball like that very often."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here 
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