Second-year general manager Brain Gaine drafted two tight ends in last year’s draft which was his first draft for the Houston Texans. Both sixth-round Jordan Thomas and third-round Jordan Akins did provide some flashes when both were given the opportunity, but adding a third tight end to the group could be beneficial for the Texans next season. Here are three free agent tight ends that are still out there that could potentially help the Texans.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
The former second-rounder out of Washington is only 26 years old. Playing for a few different teams in Jenkins six-year career he showed that he can still ball when given opportunity. Last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jenkins finished with a 57.9 percent catching rate for 90 yards receiving and one touchdown, and that was with just 19 targets. In his previous two years with the New York Jets, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer finished with a 100.0 percent & 67.7 percent catching rate with 467 yards combined in those two years. Adding Jenkins would be a nice addition to an up and coming tight end group. Gaine and company should set their sights on the 26-year-old.
Jared Cook
There’s nothing better than having three tight ends with the letter J and all being in a Texans uniform. If Gaine and coach Bill O’Brien want to get this tight end group to play at the next level, they should look into Cook. At 32 years old, Gaine could get Cook on the cheap. The 10-year veteran could rub off on the second year players Akins and Thomas, not to mention Cook had 896 receiving yards last season with six touchdowns. Not only would he be a mentor, but an excellent weapon for franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. There is little to no reason why the Texans shouldn’t sign Cook. Now it’s up to Gaine and company to make this happen.
Maxx Williams
The former second-rounder is just 24 years old and would be a great addition to an already young tight end group. With three tight ends under the age of 26, the Texans would have plenty of time to develop with Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Williams posted a 94.1 percent catching rate last season in Baltimore, and when given opportunity the former Raven makes it count. Houston should look into signing Williams to a friendly two or three-year deal. Adding Williams would give the Texans a young tight end group with a ripe old age of just 24.
If the Texans can take care of the tight end group ahead of the draft, then it allows them to use their picks for more pressing needs.
