With Chris Herndon set to miss the first four games of the season due to a suspension, the Jets and general manager Joe Douglas are going to have to bring in a tight end before the regular season kicks off in September.
The current crop of free agent tight ends is somewhat underwhelming. Trading for a player at the position is New York’s best bet at adding a quality piece to make up for Herndon’s early-season absence, but which tight ends could be available for the taking this late in the offseason?
Here are four the Jets could possibly trade for in the coming weeks.
Richard Rodgers
Rodgers caught only one pass for seven yards with the Eagles last season, but familiarity could be what lands the six-year pro in New York.
Coming from Philadelphia, Joe Douglas is familiar with what Rodgers brings to the table. Douglas can look past Rodgers’ injury-plagued 2018 campaign and see the talent the Massachusetts native has in him. Rodgers is only 27 and has plenty of good football left. He also caught 58 passes for 510 yards and eight touchdowns with the Packers in 2015, proving that he can make plays when the ball is thrown his way.
Rodgers re-upped with the Eagles on a two-year deal this offseason. However, with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert accounting for the bulk of the reps at tight end, Rodgers is No. 3 on the depth chart. If the Jets make an enticing offer, Howie Roseman shouldn’t have much of an issue moving on from a player far down on the depth chart in exchange for a return he deems valuable.
Douglas could also wait and see if the Eagles release Rodgers at any point during training camp and the preseason, but that would mean Rodgers joining the team later and having less time to learn Adam Gase’s offense before the regular season begins. Either way, Rodgers is a player the Jets should seriously consider going after.
Garrett Celek
George Kittle burst onto the scene last season and established himself as one of the best tight ends in football in the process. That, combined with the presence of 2019 sixth-round pick Kaden Smith, make Celek expendable.
Celek is more of a blocker than a receiver, but the Jets don’t have much room to be picky in their pursuit of a tight end. Celek caught only five passes for 90 yards in 2018, but registered a combined 50 receptions the previous two seasons. He’s not the most reliable route runner in the world, but he can make a play when needed.
The only problem with trading for Celek is his back. The 31-year-old is returning from offseason back surgery and there’s a chance he’s not ready for Week 1. If that is the case, the Jets could still make a move for Celek and lean on Eric Tomlinson, Trevon Wesco and Daniel Brown until he can suit up.
Antony Auclair
The Buccaneers have one of the best tight end duos in football with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate sitting atop the depth chart. Howard is a dangerous vertical threat who averaged nearly 12 yards per reception last season, while Brate is a valuable red-zone target, catching 20 touchdown passes the past three seasons.
With Howard and Brate accounting for nearly all of Tampa Bay’s tight end targets in the passing game, Auclair becomes a viable option for the Jets. He is the Buccaneers’ best blocking tight end, which could make him a tough get considering Howard and Brate are not asked to block all that much. However, with enough of a push, Joe Douglas could be able to strike a deal to land the Quebec native.
Auclair is young and has plenty of upside. With the Jets, he would have a chance to see a lot more reps and carve out a sustainable role for himself.
Seth DeValve
After catching 33 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns in 2017, DeValve’s role with the Browns diminished last season due to a nagging hamstring injury that hampered him throughout the year. Now, with free agent acquisition Damien Harris seemingly the favorite to win Cleveland’s No. 2 tight end spot, DeValve could be on the move.
DeValve doubles as a solid receiver and blocker. Freddie Kitchens likes to use multiple tight end sets and could elect to keep DeValve in a hybrid fullback/tight end role. However, if the Browns can get something in return for the Princeton product, odds are they’ll make a deal and take their chances on another blocking tight end to hold down the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
