5 Tight Ends Patriots Could Target in Free Agency
The New England Patriots' No. 1 priority this offseason if they want to improve in 2020, while also retaining Tom Brady, is acquiring a tight end. Whether they will get one via free agency or the draft or both remains to be seen. But with free agency right around the corner, now is the perfect time to evaluate the free agent class to see which players would be a good fit for the Patriots at tight end.
Talent at the tight end position is scarce in the NFL as it is, let alone amongst the free agent pool. But there are some players with potential upside that New England could obtain and get more out of than teams have in the past. There's also one talented free-agent tight end that will be highly coveted not just by New England, but by many other organizations as well.
While most of the available tight ends on the market won't be a cure-all for New England's tight end room, acquiring two of them and/or drafting one could fix a big hole they've had on the roster since Rob Gronkowski retired.
Without further ado, here are five tight ends New England could target in free agency:
*NOTE* There has been strong reporting that the Chargers will use the franchise tag on Hunter Henry, so he was not considered for this list.
5) Nick Vannett
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Buried on Seattle's depth chart last season, Nick Vannett was traded last September to the Steelers in exchange for a 5th round draft pick. Now, after 13 games in Pittsburgh in which he caught just 12 catches for 128 yards, the former 3rd round draft pick will hit free agency for the first time in his four-year career.
Vannett's size and athleticism are what convinced the Seahawks to draft him and the Steelers to trade for him. But he has yet to make anything of his physical attributes at the NFL level. At 27-years old, the former Ohio State Buckeye has lots of room for improvement in all facets of his game, which would bode well for the Patriots in contract negotiations. He ranked as PFF's 65th best tight end last season; but what makes him an intriguing prospect for New England is his pass catching-ability. Though his recent numbers don't support that idea, a combination of his hands, athleticism, and a tight-end friendly scheme could help Vannett burst onto the scene. The Patriots and Nick Vannett could be a perfect, cheap pairing.
4)Marcedes Lewis
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At age-33, Marcedes Lewis' best playing days are well behind him. But that doesn't mean he can't benefit the Patriots in a big way.
What potentially catches the eye of Patriots brass as they comb the free agent market for tight ends isn't Lewis' receiving ability. It's his ability in the run game. Per PFF, Lewis ranked as the NFL's 12th best run blocker at the tight end position in 2019 (70.1). To put that grade into perspective, the three tight ends the Patriots had on their roster last season - Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo - had run blocking grades of 51.5, 59.3 and 44.9, respectively. So based on what the Patriots had in run game support from the tight end position last season, Lewis would be a big upgrade.
As a player that has never won a championship in his 14-year career, getting Lewis at a cheap rate based on his potential want to win a ring and his age/lack of production last season is very possible for New England. Pair him with a pass-catching savvy tight end, and the Patriots can fix their tight end woes in 2020.
3) Tyler Eifert
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After being labeled "injury prone" for most of his career, Tyler Eifert came out in 2019 and didn't miss a single game for the Bengals, who drafted him with the 21st overall pick in 2013. Because of that, Eifert's market will be saturated this offseason by teams who want a big body to throw to inside the hash marks and in the red zone, along with the many other places that Eifert can be found in passing situations.
The Patriots were rumored to be in the market for Eifert before the trade deadline last season, but nothing came of it. That might be because New England thought they could get the Notre Dame product during free agency this offseason and without having to give up any draft capitol.
Now's their chance.
As PFF's 4th-best pass blocking tight end in 2019 and as a great receiving threat at the position, Eifert makes a lot of sense for New England. He won't merit a top-market contract from any team this offseason because of his overall injury history and lack of production on the field. But there's plenty of reason to believe that in the right system Eifert can be one of the top tight ends in the league. Though there are a couple better options on this list for the Patriots to choose from during free agency, Eifert seems to be the most popular pick for many people at this point based on talent and price.
2) Blake Jarwin
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There's chatter that the Cowboys want to put a second-round tender on Blake Jarwin while also signing him to a long-term deal. That tells you all you need to know about this 25-year-old tight end. But I'll still go into more detail about him.
Playing behind Jason Witten last season didn't stop Jarwin from having an impact within Dallas' offense; he accumulated 31 receptions on 41 targets for 365 yards and three touchdowns. His youth, athleticism and production thus far in the NFL screams "elite", which is why it will likely be very difficult for the Patriots to sign him, especially if Dallas does put a tender on him (New England doesn't have a second round pick this year).
Nevertheless, Jarwin is one of the best current available free agents on the market at the tight end position. And that's why the Patriots likely have the former un-drafted Oklahoma State player near the top of their free-agent wish list.
1) Austin Hooper
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As the No. 1 tight end in the free agent market this offseason, Austin Hooper will be the top target for New England come March 18.
In 2019, Hooper had a career-year with the Falcons; he caught 75 passes on 97 targets for 787 yards and six touchdowns. He was also graded as PFF's 8th-best overall tight end for 2019.
There will unquestionably be a bidding war for Hooper during free agency. That makes things difficult for the Patriots, who may try to re-sign Tom Brady, and aren't projected to have a whole lot of cap space when free agency begins ($29.06 million, according to BSJ's Miguel Benzan). But if there is one basket the Patriots should put all their eggs in during free agency, it's at tight end, and with Austin Hooper.
If the Patriots can convince Hooper to sign with them for around $8-10 million/year it will be a great fit for them. However, if the bid for him goes in excess of $10 million/year, they may have to opt out of the sweepstakes, because at that rate they won't have enough cap space to work with at other positions they need to fill as well.
Again, because I can't reiterate this enough: Hooper is the No. 1 option for the Patriots. Not just among tight ends, but among all available players. If New England wants to convince Tom Brady to come back, they need to acquire more offensive firepower, and the easiest way to do that based on what's available in free agency is by acquiring Austin Hooper.
