Packers 2022 NFL Free Agency Preview: Tight Ends

With NFL free agency officially starting on Wednesday (but the negotiating window opening on Monday), here is a look at the Green Bay Packers’ tight end situation.

Packers Level of Need

Potentially high. Or potentially nonexistent.

Packers Outlook

Robert Tonyan, one of the Packers’ breakout stars in 2020, suffered a torn ACL during the midseason victory at Arizona. The timing could hardly have been worse, with Tonyan in his final season under contract and trending toward a big payday. The timing of the injury suggests he could be ready for the start of training camp. Then again, as David Bakhtiari reminded everyone, ACL reconstruction doesn’t necessarily follow a timeline.

Meanwhile, Marcedes Lewis will turn 38 on May 19. Not surprisingly, he intends to play a 17th season, a source said. The Packers don’t have anyone like him on the roster, with his ability to block, lead and inspire, but there’s almost $2.45 million of cap savings available. Josiah Deguara, while a valuable player, is not a traditional tight end.

Strength of Free Agent Talent Pool

5, on a 1-to-10 scale. With the Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki, Browns’ David Njoku and the Cowboys’ Dalton Schultz given franchise tags, what would have been a strong class now lacks top-end talent. Those tags could drive up the price for Tonyan. The depth is good, though.

Best Available Tight Ends in Free Agency

Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers (32): Arguably the greatest tight end in NFL history is still going strong as he approaches his 33rd birthday. He had 55 receptions for 802 yards and six touchdowns last season, a 14.6-yard average. He forced 16 missed tackles, third-most at the position, according to Pro Football Focus. His 2.09 yards per pass route is by far the best among this year’s free agents. Gronkowski needs 712 yards to reach 10,000 for his career and eight touchdowns to reach 100. “There’s no denying that the lighter, sleeker Gronk of the past two years was moving better as a receiver than he was in his late-Patriots days,” wrote Gary Gramling in SI.com’s huge free-agent preview. “And while he’s not the sixth offensive lineman he was in his prime, he’s still one of the most complete tight ends in football, and a potentially big upgrade at a thin position.”

C.J. Uzomah, Bengals (29): A fifth-round pick in 2015, Uzomah flourished last season with career highs of 49 receptions, 493 yards and five touchdowns. At 6-foot-6, he is a traditional tight end who can line up in-line and win routes and blocks. Of 35 tight ends to be targeted 40 times in the passing game, he ranked 10th with 6.1 YAC per catch and eighth with 10 missed tackles. He dropped four passes (7.5 percent). He missed most of 2020 with a torn Achilles.

Robert Tonyan, Packers (27): The former Indiana State quarterback and receiver was a breakout star in 2020 with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of the 34 tight ends who were targeted at least 40 times in the passing game, Tonyan was No. 1 in catch percentage (89.7), drop percentage (0.0) and passer rating (148.3), according to PFF. He was just starting to get rolling last season when he tore an ACL. In eight games, he caught 18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

Evan Engram, Giants: The 23rd pick of the 2017 draft hasn’t been the game-changing weapon so many visualized after he ran an eye-popping 4.42 40 at the Scouting Combine. Of course, some of that is because of subpar quarterback play and all-around dysfunction. He caught 46 passes for merely 408 yards last year, an 8.9-yard average. He forced only two missed tackles and averaged 4.3 yards after the catch per catch. Officially, he’s a tight end. In reality, he’s a big slot receiver (position-high 69.5 percent of his routes from the slot).

Zach Ertz, Cardinals (31): Ertz is one of the great pass-catching tight ends in NFL history. Highlighted by his 116 catches in 2018, he’s topped 70 receptions six of the past seven seasons. Last year, his season split between Philadelphia and Arizona, he caught 74 passes for 763 yards and five touchdowns. He’s not great after the catch (4.8 YAC) but he’s sure-handed (three drops; 3.9 percent) and knows how to get open. More than half his routes came from the slot. He’s not going to move too many defenders in-line.

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers (27): The 19th pick of the 2017 draft hasn’t been the star that everyone envisioned. In five seasons, he has 119 receptions for 1,737 yards and 15 scores. Buried on the depth chart, he caught only 14 passes last year. He’s still 6-foot-6. He still has 4.51 speed in the 40. He still blocks. In an obviously small sample size, he averaged 5.9 YAC and didn’t drop any passes in 2021. Getting out of Tampa Bay would get him away from Gronkowski, which could allow his career to reach its immense potential.

Mo Alie-Cox, Colts (28): Undrafted out of Virginia Commonwealth, Alie-Cox has become a solid all-around player at the position. He caught 31 passes for 394 yards in 2020 and 24 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns in 2021. Of 35 tight ends who were targeted at least 40 times last year, he ranked seventh with 6.4 YAC per catch. He had two drops (7.7 percent). More than a receiver, Alie-Cox also is an excellent blocker.

Tyler Conklin, Vikings (26): A fifth-round pick in 2018, Conklin thrived as defenses focused on Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. His 61 receptions for 593 and three touchdowns blew away his combined production from his first three seasons. Conklin had one drop (1.6 percent), tops among this year’s free agents. A traditional, in-line tight end, he averaged 5.4 YAC and provided decent blocking, as well.

Gerald Everett, Seahawks (27): A second-round pick in 2017 by the Rams, Everett joined the Seahawks last offseason and set career highs with 48 receptions, 478 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 YAC, forced 11 missed tackles, had three drops (5.9 percent) and fumbled twice, and can win routes from here, there and everywhere. His 76.2 percent catch rate was by far the best of his career. At 6-foot-2 3/4, he’s not a traditional tight end. Everett ran his 40 in 4.60 seconds.

Jared Cook, Chargers (34): Tall and athletic, Cook is the tight end every team wants. And then they get rid of him. Despite his talent and a bunch of splash plays, which he displayed with the Packers in 2016, Cook has played for six teams in 13 seasons. In his one year with the Chargers, Cook caught 48 passes for 564 yards and four touchdowns. His seven drops were most among tight ends and his drop rate of 12.7 percent ranked second. Everyone should be so lucky to catch passes from Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Drew Brees and Justin Herbert.

Hayden Hurst, Falcons (28): Perhaps you recall Hurst’s story. He was a promising pitcher in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization until he suddenly couldn’t find home plate. Unable to conquer the mental block, he walked onto South Carolina’s football team and wound up being drafted in the first round by Baltimore in 2018. The Falcons acquired him in a trade in 2020. Hurst caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. He missed time with an ankle injury in 2021 and tapered off to only 26 catches for 221 yards. He averaged only 3.6 YAC, and while he didn’t drop any passes, he fumbled three times – most by any tight end in the NFL. He’s not a great blocker.

Maxx Williams, Cardinals (27): A second-round pick in 2015, Williams has played more than 14 games only once. He missed half of 2020 with an ankle injury and most of 2021 with a torn ACL. Thus, a highly touted prospect coming out of Minnesota who seemed a good fit for the Packers at the time has only 102 receptions for 994 yards. However, in five games before the injury last year, he caught 16-of-17 targets for 193 yards and one touchdown. He’s always been a sure-handed YAC threat and above-average blocker.

Green Bay Packers Unrestricted Free Agents

Here is a look at the Green Bay Packers' crop of unrestricted free agents, starting with All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, who was given the franchise tag on March 8.

WR Davante Adams

Status: Franchise tagged.

Age: 29. 2021 contract: $12.25 million base salary, the final year of a four-year, $58 million extension signed late in 2017.

When Aaron Rodgers calls Adams a future Hall of Famer, he’s not kidding. Over the last six seasons, Adams ranks No. 1 among receivers with 581 receptions (31 more than DeAndre Hopkins), 7,192 receiving yards (63 more than Julio Jones) and 69 touchdowns (nine more than Mike Evans). Yes, it helps to have Rodgers throwing him the football, but it helps Rodgers to have Adams running routes and attracting attention.

The one downside is Adams will turn 30 on New Year’s Eve. Contracts should be about projected production and not past production. There’s no doubt a 30-year-old Adams will be great. But how about a 33-year-old Adams?

“Obviously, we do a lot of studies on those metrics and different things,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said before the Scouting Combine. “One of the things we look at specifically for guys who are Hall of Fame-caliber players, I think there’s a lot of production into their 30s. But, at the same time, it’s like anything, there’s risk either way.”

Given his injury-related struggles in 2015, Adams has gone from potential bust (as in blown second-round draft pick) to potential bust (as in Pro Football Hall of Fame bronze bust).

Likelihood of return: High.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Age: 27. 2021 contract: $2.183 million base salary. (After reaching playing-time thresholds, he played under the NFL’s proven-performance escalator in 2021.)

After leading the league with a 20.9-yard average and scoring a career-high six touchdowns in 2020, Valdes-Scantling turned in a strong training camp that looked like a sign of bigger and better things in 2021. Instead, injuries limited him to 11 games and he caught only 26 balls for 430 yards (16.5 average) and three scores. While his overall numbers declined, he didn’t drop any passes.

Valdes-Scantling is a premier deep threat and could be coveted by teams who need a deep threat and have money to spend. He led the NFL with six receptions of 40-plus yards in 2020; over the last three seasons, he’s tied for third in the league with seven touchdown receptions of 40-plus yards. Even in a draft class filled with athletes, it’s hard to match Valdes-Scantling’s proven combination of 6-foot-4 with 4.37 speed in the 40.

Likelihood of return: Low.

WR Equanimeous St Brown

Age: 25. 2021 contract: One-year, $850,000. (Remember, he was cut at the end of training camp last year, meaning the final season of his rookie contract was torn up.)

St. Brown was considered a top receiver prospect in 2018. He surprisingly fell into the sixth round. Turns out, the teams got that one right. St. Brown caught 21 passes as a rookie but just 16 the past three years. In 2021, he caught 9-of-17 targets for 98 yards and zero touchdowns. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers complimented him throughout the season, but words didn’t deliver passes. He was a positive contributor on special teams – a rarity on Green Bay’s inept units. He might want to get a fresh start.

Likelihood of return: Low.

TE Robert Tonyan

Age: 27. 2021 contract: $3.384 million on restricted free agent tender.

Not many players lost more money in 2021 than Tonyan. He was a breakout star in 2020 with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Of the 34 tight ends who were targeted at least 40 times in the passing game, Tonyan was No. 1 in catch percentage (89.7), drop percentage (0.0) and passer rating (148.3), according to PFF.

In 2021, he was forced to help in protection, which curtailed his numbers. It appeared he was on his way toward breaking loose with impact games vs. Washington and Arizona but suffered a torn ACL vs. the Cardinals on Oct. 28. Maybe he’ll be available at some point in training camp. The Packers have nobody remotely close to providing Tonyan’s impact.

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

G/C Lucas Patrick

Age: 28. 2021 contract: $1.65 million base salary for 2021, the final year of a two-year, $2.795 million extension signed late in 2019.

The Packers invested five draft picks on interior blockers the past two seasons, with Jon Runyan, Jake Hanson and Simon Stepaniak in 2020 and Josh Myers and Royce Newman in 2021. Yet Patrick just keeps starting games. The past two seasons, he started 28 of a possible 33.

In 13 starts in 2021, he allowed one sack – in the finale vs. Detroit - according to Pro Football Focus. With his ability to play all three interior positions, Patrick is a key component on the offensive line. He’s a rugged, no-nonsense blocker who is appreciated by Aaron Rodgers. One key is the future of Elgton Jenkins. Do the Packers view him as a Pro Bowl guard or a Pro Bowl-caliber tackle? If Jenkins is viewed as a tackle, then Patrick, Runyan, Myers and Newman would provide four quality options for the three interior spots.

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

RT Dennis Kelly

Age: 32. 2021 contract: One-year, $1.325 million.

Kelly was a wise veteran addition at the start of training camp. A 16-game starter for the Titans in 2020, it was Kelly to the rescue when right tackle Billy Turner missed four games with a knee injury late in the 2021 season. He was excellent, a total of one sack and three pressures allowed, but got worked over by Pro Bowler Nick Bosa in the playoff game. The sack/strip of Aaron Rodgers late in the first half doomed a drive that led to a blocked field goal. You could do a lot worse than having him in reserve but the finances could get in the way.

Likelihood of return: Low.

DT Tyler Lancaster

Age: 27. 2021 contract: One-year, $1.25 million.

The Packers’ defensive line depth is almost nonexistent. Pro Bowler Kenny Clark is the standout. He was joined in the starting lineup throughout the season by Dean Lowry, who had a career-high five sacks but could be released to save $4.08 million of cap space. Kingsley Keke started eight games but was released late in the season. That leaves Lancaster, who started three games, fifth-round rookie TJ Slaton, who showed some potential in 15 snaps per game, and Jack Heflin, who barely played as an undrafted rookie. Can the Packers do better than Lancaster? Of course. But you can’t replace someone without actually having a replacement.

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

OLB Whitney Mercilus

Age: 31. 2021 contract: One-year, $1.075 million (prorated to $716,667).

A change of scenery brought the best out of the 31-year-old Mercilus until he suffered a torn biceps. In six games that included 110 pass-rushing snaps with Houston, he had two sacks and five pressures. In four games that included 80 pass-rushing snaps with Green Bay, he had one sack and 10 pressures. Of 144 edge rushers with at least Mercilus’ number of rushes, Rashan Gary was second, Preston Smith was 17th and Mercilus was 36th in PFF’s pass-rush win percentage. He’ll turn 32 before training camp.

He’d be a nice No. 3 if the Packers release Za’Darius Smith, but the Packers’ cap problems could stand in the way. If the Packers need an outside linebacker after the draft and he’s still available, perhaps this would be worth revisiting.

Likelihood of return: Low.

ILB De’Vondre Campbell

Age: 28. 2021 contract: One-year, $2 million.

So, this is what a real, honest-to-goodness, game-changing inside linebacker looks like. Somehow unemployed in June despite five solid seasons, Campbell joined the Packers on a one-year, $2 million contract. The Packers were rewarded with an All-Pro season and Campbell will be rewarded in free agency.

Even while sitting out the season finale against Detroit, Campbell finished seventh in the NFL with 145 tackles. He entered that final game with a league-leading 101 solo tackles. Of the 34 players with at least 107 tackles, Campbell and Washington’s Cole Holcomb were the only players with at least one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Campbell was the only linebacker in the league with 100-plus tackles and at least two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. After swinging and missing on veterans like Christian Kirksey, Antonio Morrison and B.J. Goodson, the Packers got their first All-Pro linebacker since Ray Nitschke in 1966.

“Yeah, that was my whole thought process from the time I signed, just to kind of reintroduce myself,” Campbell said. “Casuals don’t really know who I am, but people who watch tape, people who know the game of football [know]. I get told week in and week out from the people I compete against, ‘You’re a hell of a player and you always have been.’ I’m just glad that people are starting to realize it. That just kind of makes me feel good. Something I’ve always known, but to hear it from other people, you always kind of need that reassurance, so that was a huge goal of mine, just kind of re-establishing myself.”

The Packers would love to have him back. Can they scrape up enough money from between the couch cushions?

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

ILB Oren Burks

Age: 27. 2021 contract: $920,000 base salary, the final year of his four-year, $3.65 million rookie deal.

In 2018, the Packers traded their fourth- and fifth-round selections to grab Burks in the third round. Oops. In four seasons, he started seven games and recorded 84 tackles. Billed as a new-age linebacker after starting his career at Vanderbilt as a safety, he didn’t break up a single pass in four seasons. In 2021, he recorded a career-high 26 tackles and finished second on the team with 10 stops on special teams.

Likelihood of return: Low.

CB Rasul Douglas

Age: 26. 2021 contract: One-year, $770,000 (prorated to $661,111).

When Jaire Alexander went down with a shoulder injury against Pittsburgh in Week 4, it could have been a fatal blow. And it would have been fatal if the Packers had been forced to rely on Kevin King or Isaac Yiadom. Instead, in one of the great practice-squad raidings in NFL history, Gutekunst found Douglas toiling in Arizona.

Having failed to make rosters in Las Vegas and Houston during training camp, Douglas saved Green Bay’s season. In merely 12 games with nine starts, Douglas tied for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions. That equaled Douglas’ total from his first four NFL seasons. Two were returned for touchdowns and two saved victories over Arizona and Cleveland. Of 88 corners with 50 percent playing time, he allowed a seventh-ranked completion rate of 52.2 percent. He also was perhaps the best player on special teams.

“Of course,” he said about returning to the Packers with a long-term contract. “I built a family here. I’ve still got some unfinished business, I feel like, to handle. Of course, I want to be here. But I don’t think that’s all my decision to make.” The Packers would love to have him back but he probably priced himself out of Green Bay.

Likelihood of return: Low.

CB Chandon Sullivan

Age: 25. 2021 contract: One-year, $2.133 million on restricted free agent tender.

If the Packers can’t afford Rasul Douglas, then Sullivan would be a budget-friendly third piece to join Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes in the defensive backfield. Even if the Packers can afford Douglas, Sullivan would be a quality depth piece.

Starting 10 games for a second consecutive season, Sullivan intercepted a career-high three passes. Of 28 defensive backs to play at least 200 coverage snaps in the slot, Sullivan ranked third with 13.4 snaps per reception and eighth with 1.02 yards per coverage snap, according to PFF. Are there better slot defenders? Yes. But you could do worse, too, and Shemar Jean-Charles’ rookie training camp was not promising.

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

CB Kevin King

Age: 26. 2021 contract: One-year, $5 million.

Gutekunst re-signed King in free agency last offseason to serve as an insurance policy just in case he couldn’t find a starting cornerback in the draft. He did with Stokes, then struck gold with Rasul Douglas.

King started his first six games – shockingly, he missed five games due to injuries in a six-game span – then barely played down the stretch once the team settled on Stokes, Douglas and Sullivan as its best trio.

King played in 51 of 81 games in five seasons. After picking off five passes and breaking up 15 in 2019, he had one interception and eight passes defensed in 21 games the last two years. Presumably, that will close the book on the team’s first pick of the 2017 draft other than his lingering cap hits ($750,000 per year through 2025) and the painful reminders every time T.J. Watt sacks the quarterback.

Likelihood of return: Almost zero.

P Corey Bojorquez.

Age: 25. 2021 contract: One-year, $1.02 million.

Acquired at the end of training camp, Bojorquez ranked among the league’s top punters until the wheels came off in a Week 12 game against Chicago. Still, his 40.0-yard net average was 3.0 yards better than JK Scott’s mark from 2020. He’s got a lot of ability – he had the NFL’s longest punt each of the past two seasons. With added consistency, he could be a major weapon. Will he ever be a reliable holder, though? Having entered the NFL in 2018, it’s fair to wonder whether he’ll ever consistently maximize his talent.

Likelihood of return: Moderate.

Restricted Free Agent: WR Allen Lazard

Lazard is the team's only restricted free agent. He is coming off a season in which he set career highs in receptions (40), yards (513) and touchdowns (eight). Other than a couple blips on the radar, coach Matt LaFleur’s beloved “goon” caught the ball well, fought for every yard and blocked his butt off. Not many explosive runs didn’t involve Lazard.

Over the last five games of this past season, his six touchdown receptions were tied for second-most in the league. Not the most fleet of foot, his constant blocking allows him to catch defenders by surprise on deep passes. Green Bay has gone 11-2 when he scored. The second-round restricted free-agent tender will cost $3.986 million.

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