Free Agency Preview – Tight Ends

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February 28, 2020

By Noonefromtampa

As every Redskins fan knows, tight end is a position of need for the team. The current situation is this:

  • Jordan Reed has been released and Vernon Davis has retired
  • The team will likely sign a veteran free agent tight end
  • The team will likely draft a tight end
  • The current tight ends (Jeremy Sprinkle, Hale Hentges, Caleb Wilson) will fight for the remaining roster spot

The Redskins have a huge hole at the number one tight end spot. Sprinkle has likely reached his ceiling as a professional player. Hentges is probably a #3 tight end at best, while Wilson will end up on a practice squad spot if he is fortunate.

The situation is complicated by a relatively weak draft for top-end talent at the position. The talent in the draft is mainly in the mid-rounds.

The overall free agent situation is very fluid right now as the negotiations towards a new CBA continues, butthe list of all available free agents can be found by clicking here.

For argument’s sake, let’s put an age cap of 31 and first look only at unrestricted free agents as players the Redskins may possibly sign. This is my grouping of the prospects:

Premier Level Players

There are the players with the best skills that will command the best salaries. This group includes Austin Hooper (cost $10M/year), Hunter Henry (cost $9M/year), and Eric Ebron (cost $7.5M/year). Hooper is the “every fan” dream signing: young, excellent player, no major flags. Henry and Ebron come with injury histories and Ebron, though talented, has also been inconsistent in his career. Henry and Ebron will hit the free agent market, while Atlanta will do what ever it can within its current cap situation to retain Hooper. Teama do not normally want to let guys at Hooper’s level walk to another team.

Value Level Players

Players at this level are Charles Clay, Tyler Eifert, Logan Thomas and MyCole Pruitt. Eifert would provide the most production, if he can stay healthy, which has been his problem his whole career. The other players would not provide the same level of production as Reed or Davis by any stretch of the imagination, but they would deliver more from the tight end position than the Redskins saw in 2019. These options would give a drafted player time to develop and cost the team in the $2M to $5M range in salary. All of these players will hit the free agent market.

RFA Players

Any restricted free agent who is signed by another team will cost the gaining club draft compensation that goes to the losing team, which is a factor for teams to keep in mind. There are two players to consider in this category if their current teams only make qualifying offers: Blake Jarwin of Dallas and Ricky Seals-Jones of Cleveland. Both are up and coming players who have very high ceilings. The question is whether the Redskins are willing to give up draft capital for them or whether the team would rather just take a tight end in the draft instead. My guess is the latter option is the most likely option.

Conclusion

The Redskins have a number of major holes to fill on their offensive line and defensive secondary. My recommendation would be to fill those first and the sign one of the value tight end players to a short-term deal of one to two years. I would then address the tight-end position in the draft in the third of fourth round.

 

 

Sources: Spotrac.com