The Denver Broncos could use some more production out of the tight end position, something that has been the case for a handful of seasons.
The free agent market this offseason doesn’t seem to bear much fruit, however. Jeff Heuerman is set to be part of the list of free agents, leaving the team with some key decisions to make.
Jake Butt and Troy Fumagalli, two young players the team would love to be able to get into the regular rotation, have had some injury issues.
Though the pickings might be slim, the Broncos should still consider some of the free agent tight ends that will be available. Here’s a look at three of them.
1. Jesse James
There’s nothing flashy about Jesse James’ game, but he is a big, reliable target capable of moving the chains. He’s also durable, having played in all of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ games over the last two seasons.
Last season, 17 of his 30 receptions resulted in a first down and he has at least 30 receptions in each of the last three seasons. He did that as part of an explosive offense in which he was probably seventh or eighth in the pecking order in terms of who to get the ball to.
2. Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Despite being a talented former second-round pick, Austin Seferian-Jenkins can’t seem to find a permanent home. He washed out in Tampa Bay before having a terrific 2017 season with the New York Jets.
He parlayed that into a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that was just a couple of plays away from the Super Bowl. But much like the 2018 season of the Jags, Seferian-Jenkins flopped.
He caught just 11 passes in Jacksonville and will be looking for a new team in 2019. Much of his lack of productivity with the Jaguars can be attributed to the team’s issues at the quarterback position and Joe Flacco has always liked to go to his tight ends.
3. Demetrius Harris
This would be far from a splash signing as Demetrius Harris is more of a complementary guy, but he can be very good in that role.
An undrafted rookie in 2013, Harris has spent his entire six-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs. He has 57 career catches and seven touchdowns.
He could be looking to get some bigger money on the open market and the Broncos would probably love to steal a guy from their division rival.
