The Seattle Seahawks were forced to use a carousel of tight ends in 2018, their first year without veteran Jimmy Graham, who signed with Green Bay in the offseason.
While the best of the bunch was rookie Will Dissly, he was injured Week 4 and missed the rest of the season.
From there, veterans Ed Dickson and Nick Vannett handled most of the tight end duties, with Tyrone Swoopes, Darrell Daniels and tackle George Fant sprinkled in as well.
Looking ahead to 2019, it sounds like Pete Carroll wants to continue the trend, which is notable considering the big tackle is a restricted free agent.
“We love the big tight ends which we showed you with George Fant last year, he did a great job for us,” Carroll commented at the combine. “Will, George and Eddie Dickson that’s a pretty good group right there. They all are different and we’ll use them according to their strengths.”
Of course, Seattle will have to retain Fant first, which is expected to cost just over $3M if he is offered a second-round tender, as expected.
It’s also notable Carroll neglected to mention Vannett, who had a career-high 29 receptions for 269 yards and three touchdowns last season and is under contract through 2019.
While it’s likely just an oversight, it is worth watching how Seattle handles the tight end position going forward, and if the Seahawks approach bringing Fant back for next season.
