Free Agency Fast Takes: TEs
Hunter Henry: Franchise Tagged by the Los Angeles Chargers
The former Arkansas Razorback has shown flashes of elite upside during his short career, but injuries have often derailed his development on the field. In 2019, a broken knee patella sidelined the four year veteran for four games, and the Chargers’ struggles on offense certainly didn’t do him any favors. Yet still, Henry managed to finish as TE9. With a revamped offensive line and a healthy body, could this be the year Henry finally finishes inside the top five at the position? He’ll be cheaper than the likes of Zach Ertz and Mark Andrews - yet his production could be identical. Even with the risk of injury, I’d be more than happy rolling into the season with Henry in my TE slot.
Hayden Hurst: Traded to the Atlanta Falcons
In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the Atlanta Falcons sent a second round pick to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for their backup TE. Hayden Hurst makes for a tough read with the Dirty Birds. Austin Hooper is leaving behind 97 targets in 13 games of work last season, but during that three game absence backup TE Jaeden Graham drew just 8 targets. Hooper was clearly a staple in OC Dirk Koetter’s offense, but one could argue that Hurst will be used similarly considering the Falcons were willing to depart with a second round pick for guy. The workload should be there for Hurst, but keep in mind he’ll still be battling for targets with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Hurst should be drafted as a stronger TE2, with a higher upside than most others in that tier.
Eric Ebron: 2-year $12M deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Eric Ebron’s arrival in Pittsburgh could be a sneaky acquisition. For one, Big Ben is healthy, which means Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges can safely return to the sideline. James Washington is sure to receive a lot of buzz heading into training camp following his emergence in the second half, and Juju Smith Schuster is going to be under a ton of pressure to bounce back from a massively disappointing 2019 season. Ebron provides Roethlisberger with another weapon in the passing game, particularly in the red zone. But the former first rounder is also coming off a season-ending ankle surgery, and he’ll be competing for snaps with the capable Vance McDonald. Until we know exactly how Mike Tomlin intends to employ his TE duo, Eric Ebron shouldn’t be considered as anything more than a TD-dependent streaming option. Draft and stash.
Jimmy Graham: 2-year $16M deal with the Chicago Bears
Jimmy Graham’s agent deserves a major pat on the back for this one. $16M and $9M guaranteed? For an aging TE coming off the worst season of his career? Graham finished as TE21 in 2019, a season in which every Packer receiver had the opportunity to establish trust with Aaron Rodgers during Davante Adams’ stint with turf toe. What makes you think that he’ll be any better with Mitch Trubisky under center? Unless you know something that I don’t, there’s no reason to draft the former all-pro.
Austin Hooper: 4-year $42M deal with the Cleveland Browns
Labeled by most as a fallback option heading into last season’s fantasy draft, Hooper will enter 2020 as one of the premier options at the position. The Browns decided to make the four-year veteran the highest paid tight end in the NFL, which means he’ll be lining up alongside another pair of elite pass catchers. Though this time, he won’t be able to benefit from Atlanta’s aerial attack. Instead, he’ll be inserted into a Kevin Stefanski-led offense that was heavily reliant upon the run in Minnesota. That doesn’t mean Hooper won’t have the opportunity to produce, but he might have to do so at a higher efficiency - because there are plenty of mouths to feed in Cleveland. Hooper should have no problem finishing as a top ten tight end, but I’d be hesitant to draft him as the TE1 he was in Weeks 1-10 last season.
Jason Witten: 1-year $4M deal with the Las Vegas Raiders
The future HOFer stepped right out of the Monday Night broadcast booth, and somehow finished as TE12 in 2019. You have to tip your cap to the old man. Now playing behind Darren Waller in Las Vegas, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Witten warrants being drafted at all. You’d be better off investing in another player with higher upside.
Greg Olsen: 1-year $7M deal with the Seattle Seahawks / Jacob Holliter: 2nd Round Tender by the Seattle Seahawks
Greg Olsen may still have juice in the tank, but the Seahawks depth at the position makes it difficult to project volume. Jacob Hollister remains on the roster following an impressive stretch in the second half, and Will Dissly’s rehab is reportedly going swimmingly. Don’t forget that Dissly was TE5 Weeks 1-5 before rupturing his achilles. The depth chart is far too congested at the moment to have any understanding as to how Pete Carroll will handle these three.
Tyler Eifert: 2-year $15.5M deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Eifert has been a popular lottery ticket at the position for several years now, dating back to his TE6 finish in 2015. But since then he’s been no better than TE20, due to an onslaught of back and ankle injuries. With Eifert now serving as the starter in Jacksonville, there’s a good chance he’ll be viewed as a lottery ticket yet again - but don’t overpay. James O’Shaughnessy recorded 153 receiving yards in 5 games last season with the Jags, and Seth Devalve recorded 140 over 12. In fact, all six tight ends employed by Jacksonville in 2019 combined for just 459 yards. An unparalleled injury resume paired with a questionable workload provides little reason for optimism. He’s nothing more than a late round flier in deeper leagues.
Blake Jarwin: 3-year $24M extension with the Dallas Cowboys
With Old Man Witten heading for Sin City, the tight end job is Jarwin’s to lose in Dallas. The Oklahoma State alum showed flashes of brilliance in a limited role last season, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t benefit from a higher snap count. Witten and Jarwin together accounted for roughly 21% of Dak Prescott’s targets last season. Witten alone received an average of 5.2 targets per game, enough for 13th best in the league amongst the entire position group. Jarwin not only has the opportunity to earn a higher snap count, but his superior athletic ability means he should be able to do more with his chances than last year’s TE12. He’s an under-the-radar option who could provide great value in the double digit rounds of your fantasy draft.
Update: With the Cowboys drafting WR CeeDee Lamb in the first round, Jarwin’s fantasy value takes a massive hit. He’ll retain streaming value, but all of a sudden he’s Dak Prescott’s fourth option at best.
Rob Gronkowski: Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HE’S BACK. After a one year hiatus that involved a WWE Belt and an analyst gig on Fox Sports, Gronk is suiting up to play alongside his buddy Tom again. The hype surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rob Gronkowski in particular is hard to ignore. On paper, this really should be a dynamic offense - but the TE position is tough to get a read on just because there are so many variables at play. Gronk’s final years in New England were plagued by injury, which ultimately drove him to early retirement. In that year off, he shed twenty pounds and gave his body ample time to recover. At full health, it will be great to see Brady and Gronk reignite their undeniable chemistry. But on the other hand, Bruce Arians’ lack of TE usage is well documented, and we can be certain that Tampa’s stellar WR duo will lead the way in target share. We can’t even be sure that the job is 100% Gronk’s. The massively talented and underutilized O.J. Howard is still on the roster after a slurry of trade rumors that took course in April. There’s no denying that Gronk will be fantasy relevant in 2020, but my willingness to draft him will certainly be impacted by ADP. Hype and buzz have a tendency to overinflate one’s value, so be careful not to draft Gronk as anything more than a low TE1.
