2021 NFL Free Agency: Best Available Tight Ends
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Free agency officially kicked off with the beginning of the league-year on March 17. Here is a look at the Green Bay Packers' situation at tight end and the best of the remaining free agents.
The Packers’ Picture
Packers Need (1-10 scale): 5. It’s the great unknown. If the Packers retain up-and-coming standout Robert Tonyan and re-sign Marcedes Lewis, this would go down to a 1. Tonyan and Lewis, along with a healthy Josiah Deguara, would be one heck of a starting point. Any contributions from former third-round pick Jace Sternberger and promising undrafted free agent Dominique Dafney would be icing on the cake.
Packers Free Agents: Robert Tonyan is a restricted free agent and Marcedes Lewis is unrestricted. The Packers gave the second-round tenure to Tonyan, who was first among tight ends last season in catch percentage, drop percentage and passer rating when targeted and tied for first with 11 touchdowns. It will be interesting to see if that tender is enough to scare away suitors. Lewis, who will turn 37 on May 19, probably has more value with the Packers than with any other team. His grit and leadership are things that will never show up on the stat sheet. Coach Matt LaFleur counts on his running game and Lewis’ blocking can’t be replaced by anyone on the roster. Moreover, his mentorship of Tonyan and friendship with Aaron Rodgers have been unquantifiable assets.
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Top 13 Unrestricted Free Agents
SIGNED BY NEW ENGLAND: Hunter Henry, L.A. Chargers: When Henry has played, he’s been an extremely productive, well-rounded player. A first-round pick in 2016, he’s recorded 196 receptions for 2,322 yards and 21 touchdowns in his four healthy seasons. That includes a career-high 60 receptions in 2020, which he turned into 613 yards and four scores. He blocks, too, making him the best two-way tight end in free agency. The problem is he’s never played in the full 16-game slate and has missed 25 of a possible 80 games. He’s only 26.
SIGNED BY NEW ENGLAND: Jonnu Smith, Tennessee: A third-round pick in 2017, Smith’s catch count has gone from 18 to 20 to 35 to 41. He set career highs with 41 receptions, 448 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020, though his reception rate went from 79.5 percent in 2019 to 63.1 percent in 2020. According to Pro Football Focus, he forced 14 missed tackles in 2019 but only three in 2020. For his career, he’s averaged 7.1 yards after the catch.
SIGNED BY SEATTLE: Gerald Everett, L.A. Rams: A second-round pick in 2017, Everett’s catch count has gone from 16 to 33 to 37 to 41. He set career highs with 41 receptions and 417 yards in 2020. He ranked fifth among tight ends by forcing nine missed tackles and seventh with 5.9 yards after the catch. He’s never been the guy, though, with just 11 starts. He’s scored only eight touchdowns. He’s played the full 16-game slate in three of his four seasons.
SIGNED BY L.A. CHARGERS: Jared Cook, New Orleans: In Season 12 of his nomadic career, Cook caught 37 passes for 504 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s big and fast but it’s never quite added up to sustained stretches of excellence. That’s why he’ll be looking to join his sixth team this offseason. He did score 16 touchdowns in two years with the Saints compared to 12 touchdowns the previous five seasons combined. He’ll turn 34 in April.
RE-SIGNED: Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay: Gronkowski came out of retirement to join Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. It was a championship decision. Playing all 16 games for the first time since 2011, he caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. He led NFL tight ends with eight receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards, according to PFF. After catching two passes in the first three playoff games, he hauled in six passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. He’s not the run blocker he used to be in his prime but he can get the job done when he puts his mind to it. He’ll turn 32 in May. It’s almost impossible to believe he’ll play for some other team in 2021.
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Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville: From 2016 through 2018, Eifert played in a not-so-grand total of 14 games. He’s played in 31 games the past two seasons, though. In his one and only season with Jacksonville, he caught 36 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns. He ranked toward the bottom of the league with 0.92 yards per pass route, one averted tackle and 2.9 yards after the catch. Half of his 26 career touchdowns came in 2015. He’ll turn 31 at the start of the season.
Jesse James, Detroit: A fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2015, James has played in all 80 games (52 starts) the past five seasons. In six seasons, he’s caught 150 passes for 1,460 yards and 11 touchdowns. That includes 14 catches for 129 yards and two scores last season with the Lions. With T.J. Hockenson atop the depth chart, the Lions released just before the start of free agency to escape the final two years of a $22.6 million contract. He’s a decent depth piece with his ability to block and catch. James will turn 27 in June.
SIGNED BY N.Y. GIANTS: Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota: The Vikings released Rudolph last week. In 10 seasons in Minnesota, he caught 453 passes for 4,488 yards and 48 touchdowns. He caught only 28 passes in 12 games in 2020 but averaged a career-high 11.9 yards per reception. He’s a crafty player who knows how to get open but adds nothing resembling an explosive element, as evidenced by his career mark of 9.9 yards per catch. He turned 31 in November.
RE-SIGNED: Marcedes Lewis, Green Bay: Lewis caught 10 passes for 107 yards and three touchdowns, giving him a three-year total in Green Bay of 28 receptions for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He’s a rugged blocker – one of the best in the NFL and the class of the free agents – and quality role player and leader. The Packers kept him with a two-year deal.
SIGNED BY CAROLINA: Dan Arnold, Arizona: A native of Milwaukee who played at Division III Wisconsin-Platteville, Arnold caught 31 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns during a bit of a breakout season with the Cardinals. His six penalties and two fumbles are black eyes. He’s 6-foot-5 with a 39.5-inch vertical. He’s come a long way since going undrafted and unsigned in 2017. Arnold will turn 26 next month.
Trey Burton, Indianapolis: Burton, a Super Bowl hero for Philadelphia in 2017, signed a four-year, $32 million contract with Chicago in 2018. In his debut season, he caught 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns – all career highs – but he caught just 14 passes for the Bears in 2019 and 28 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns for the Colts in 2020. At 6-foot-2, easy completions are few and far between. The 29-year-old forced only one missed tackle in 2020.
Richard Rodgers, Philadelphia: A third-round pick by the Packers in 2014, Rodgers caught 48 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015. That was the zenith of his career. He caught 12 passes for the Packers in 2017 and one in eight games with Philadelphia in 2018 and 2019. He was productive again in 2020, though, with 24 receptions for 345 yards and two scores. He ranked second among tight ends with 2.65 yards per pass route. He’s not fast, he’s not elusive and he’s not a blocker but he’s always caught the ball. He turned 29 in January.
James O’Shaughnessy, Jacksonville: O’Shaughnessy caught a career-high 28 passes in 2020. He’s coming off back-to-back seasons with 70-plus percent catch rates. The 29-year-old broke only one tackle in 2020 and offers little as a blocker.
