2020 Free Agent TE Class and Fantasy Football Impact
With the NFL season concluded, now comes the time for great speculation on where free agents may land. Offseason activities provide a good level of entertainment and afford all fantasy managers to navigate their rosters.
When it comes to the tight end position, it appears most teams are looking to have that dual-threat player who can catch and block. The league is also moving toward having multi tight end sets to be more dynamic while exploiting the play-action pass. While the lack of talent on the open market is clear, a few names will fetch top dollar when free agency opens. Let’s dive into the potential impact these free agents may have in 2020.
Free Agent Tight Ends:
Hunter Henry (LAC)
AGE: 25 | 2019 Salary: $1,595,077 | FA Rank: 1
For the record, the Chargers Hunter Henry is one of our favorite players at the position despite his vast injury history. Henry has all the intangibles which will make him a very sought after player on the open market – if he makes it there. We would be absolutely shocked if the Chargers don’t find a way to lock him up to a long term contract before the free-agent period opens.
The one issue of concern is how much should a club invest for a player who has seen long spells in the medical room? Coming back from what appeared to be a season-ending injury at the start of last season, Henry came back with a punch to dominate the opposition. No matter where Henry plays next season, his value should again be high amidst the injury troubles.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: High
Austin Hooper (ATL)
AGE: 25 | 2019 Salary: $803,357 | FA Rank: 2
Here we find yet another high-end producer at the position which will likely find his way to wearing new colors come 2020. The Falcons Austin Hooper became a revelation in this offense the past two seasons, which has undoubtedly lifted his overall price tag. While the Falcons have been on record to suggest they would love to bring back the player they drafted, their salary cap situation may preclude that from happening.
Even though Hooper isn’t the most nimble of foot, his skillset and body frame would allow any team to integrate him into their systems. At this point, it’s a long shot to witness Hooper return to Atlanta, so let the bidding begin on his new contract. Could the Packers be the logical fit while upgrading from Jimmy Graham – it’s very possible.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: High
Eric Ebron (IND)
AGE: 27 | 2019 Salary: $6,500,000 | FA Rank: 3
The notion around the league was that Eric Ebron was one of the biggest busts to come out of the 2014 NFL draft - until his 2018 campaign with the Colts. Finding new fortune with Andrew Luck, Ebron was able to carve out a nice role which led to 13 touchdown receptions in that 2018 season. Moving forward one year, Ebron reverted back to old habits which saw a season filled with drops and inconsistent play once again. While most place blame on Ebron, we feel the offensive system wasn’t conducive to his abilities with Jacoby Brissett behind center.
Moving ahead to the offseason, the Colts brain trust has already wished Ebron well, saying they will not offer him a new contract. And while the 6.5 million dollar cap hit he held last season could be ambitious to obtain in 2020, he will be a hot commodity for a team looking to upgrade. We still won’t give up hope, but realize Ebron is something of an enigma.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: Moderate/High
Vance McDonald (PIT) (Club Option)
AGE: 30 | 2019 Salary: $6,550,000 | FA Rank: 4
Remember the hype of last offseason where the Steelers were supposed to use Vance McDonald in bunches in this offense – yup, me too. While many injuries played into the usage of McDonald in this offense, it’s clear he may never reach his full potential in the NFL.
While we still place McDonald as the fourth-best player at the position, the Steelers do hold the club option on his contract which could prevent him from hitting the open market. However, with his salary already overinflated and production being what it is, we would be surprised to witness Pittsburgh pay up for the underachieving tight end. Perhaps a change of scenery would be best to produce more stats, but we need to see it on the field with more consistency to promote.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: Moderate/Low
Jason Witten (DAL)
AGE: 38 | 2019 Salary: $4,250,000 | FA Rank: 5
For purposes of evaluation, the Cowboys Jason Witten is a massive question mark heading into the new season. Coming back to the fold after taking a year off in retirement and calling games on Monday Night Football, Witten appeared to not miss a beat on an offense loaded with talent. Staying the course and securing comparable numbers to his previous four campaigns – 63 receptions for 529 yards, and 4 touchdowns were the result.
With that, the future will again hold many question marks as the Cowboys will have much to sort out with their roster and cap space. Knowing Jerry Jones’ loyalty to players he values, it’s possible one more kick of the can could be on the horizon. If he does return to Dallas, similar numbers should again be the outcome.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: Moderate/Low
Tyler Eifert (CIN)
AGE: 29 | 2019 Salary: $4,000,000 | FA Rank: 6
One player that has seen both high levels of statistical achievements and the bottom floor of the dog house, the Bengals Tyler Eifert is an interesting player, to say the least. The Bengals took one last shot on Eifert last season to see if he could finish a full season for the first time in his career. While they did limit his overall snaps, Eifert did manage to stay clear of his trainers for the most part in 2019.
Looking ahead, it could be hard to envision Cincinnati offer up more money to a player whose body appears to be broken down. Nevertheless, his skill set is still impressive and could be a benefit to a team looking to add depth to the position. Depending on the situation, we could see him used primarily as a red zone target, but is he a starter at this point in his career? Time will tell.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: Low
Charles Clay (ARZ)
AGE: 31 | 2019 Salary: $2,000,000 | FA Rank: 7
Rounding out this list of potential earners for the tight end position, Charles Clay still holds value even though many believe it isn’t the case. While Clay fell back down to career lows in this Cardinals offense this past season, there is a credible explanation. While Clay does still hold all the traits to make him an offensive weapon, his superb blocking ability locks him in that role to help teams with inadequate offensive lines. There is proof to this assessment, as over the past two years with both the Bills and the Cardinals, they required a great deal of assistance in that department.
Now once again Clay finds himself without a team, we would envision his decision to find a club that could use his talents more in the passing game. The Flacons come to mind right off the bat to replace Austin Hooper, while mimicking the skillset and scheme at a lower price. We still like Clay as a player, but his landing spot will be very important to his fantasy value in 2020.
2020 Potential Fantasy Impact: Low
Honorable Mention:
Ricky Seals-Jones (CLE) (RFA) 2019 Salary: $645,000, Blake Jarwin (DAL) (RFA) 2019 Salary: $563,867, Lance Kendricks (LAC) 2019 Salary: $930,000, Darren Fells (HOU) 1,500,000
