6 BEST PASS CATCHERS STILL AVAILABLE IN FREE AGENCY

BY ADAM GREENE

At this point in free agency, guys are loose for a reason. For most, there’s injury issues that kept them out of the first couple of signing waves, but as camps get closer and teams see the holes in their roster, there’s still some quality wide receivers and tight ends milling about free agency.

All the guys listed fit a need with some caveats. There are plenty more out there that could be role players in the right situation (Tavon Austin, Danny Amendola, Laquon Tredwell and Jesse James), but these guys, if they can stay healthy, would be an asset to most teams.

6. JOSH DOCTSON (formerly of the Minnesota Vikings)

2020: Did Not Play

Doctson was injured all of 2019 and sat out 2020 on a COVID-19 opt out. I’d guess that was to get fully healthy. Over his last few seasons he’s dealt with a heel, a hamstring and been in the concussion protocol. When he was healthy, he was very productive, putting up two consecutive 500-plus yard seasons and scoring six touchdowns in 2017.

Perfect fit: Green Bay Packers

In spite of selecting Clemson wide receiver Amari Rogers in the second round of April’s NFL draft, the Pack still has one of the worst wide receiver rooms of any playoff team from 2020. Doctson is still young enough to work his way into their rotation and it would be difficult for me to see how he wouldn’t be an upgrade over a guy like Allen Lazard

5. TREY BURTON (formerly of the Indianapolis Colts)

2020: 28 catches, 250 yards, three touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns

Burton played in 13 games and started four for the Colts on a one-year free agent deal after an injury riddled 2019 with the Chicago Bears. In 2018, Burton caught 54 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns, which is very good for a tight end in any system, let alone with the Bears in the Mitchell Trubisky era. For the playing time he did manage to get in Indy, Burton still posted a 66.7 grade at PFF. He’s a pure pass catching, No. 2 tight end at 6-2, 238, but he’s just 29 and has plenty of football left in him.

Perfect fit: Buffalo Bills

There’s not a lot of weaknesses on the Bills offense, but a tight end that can contribute in the red zone and on passing downs is one of them. Burton adds another third down option to counter Cole Beasley and can contribute in the short yardage run game as well. He scored two rushing touchdowns for the Colts last year.

4. TYLER EIFERT (formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars)

2020: 36 catches, 348 yards, two touchdowns

Eifert’s career was derailed by multiple injuries from 2014-2018 that all but ended his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a healthy final season there, in 2019, where he caught 43 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns, but the team finally let him walk. He was decent in Jacksonville last season, but could only do so much on the worst team in the league. At 6-6 and 255, Eifert is the prototype for a complete tight end and, if his body hadn’t betrayed him, would probably be spoken of like Mark Andrews in Baltimore or Tyler Higbee in Los Angeles, guys right below the Travis Kelces, George Kittles and Rob Gronkowskis of the world.

Perfect fit: New York Jets

Eifert just turned 30 and likely has three or four more years in him if he can remain on the field. He seems to have put his injury woes behind him, playing in all 16 games the last two years. Like the Bills, the Jets have a dangerously shallow tight end room. Of course, they were all part of the worst offense in the NFL last season, so maybe it’s not all their fault. Still, I think a rookie QB like Zach Wilson needs a reliable weapon on third down and in the red zone and Eifert has been that his entire (healthy) career.

3. GOLDEN TATE (formerly of the New York Giants)

2020: 35 catches, 388 yards, two touchdowns

Tate’s numbers went down last season because of injury and being a little more trouble than he was worth to new head coach Joe Judge. He got in a soap opera inspired fight with the Los Angeles Rams Jalen Ramsey and complained about his role in the offense. Something a guy that’s been, at best, a No. 2, can’t really get away with in a locker room. Tate should remain just that, a solid No. 2 or 3 for a team, just three seasons removed from recording two straight 1,000 yard seasons with the Detroit Lions.

Perfect fit: Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders have lucked up by picking guys off the trash heap before. Look no further than Darren Waller and Richie Incognito. Tate would be an upgrade over penciled in starter Bryan Edwards (15 catches for 193 yards and a TD last season) and, at worst, would split time with Willie Snead IV, who brings a lot of the same talents and size as Tate.

2. LARRY FITZGERALD (formerly of the Arizona Cardinals)

2020: 54 catches, 409 yards, one touchdown

Fitzgerald hasn’t retired yet, and considering we’re a few months away from training camp, it seems as if he’s probably coming back. While the Arizona Cardinals have publicly said they’d make room for him on their roster, they spent the early part of the offseason filling up that room and no one would fault them for moving on. Fitzgerald has a gold jacket in his future as a first ballot Hall of Famer, but that clock doesn’t start until he hangs up his cleats. It doesn’t look like he’s made the call to do it just yet.

Perfect fit: Minnesota Vikings

There are few moves that would make more sense or be more popular with Skol nation than bringing Fitzgerald home to Minnesota. Fitzgerald, in the twilight of his career, has become as good a slot receiver as there is in the game, because of course he has, and would open up plenty of downfield opportunities for Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. He’d also take a lot of the catches that would be left over after letting Kyle Rudolph go.

1. DEDE WESTBROOK (formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars)

2020: 1 catch, four yards

Westbrook was a solid and productive No. 2 receiver for the Jags until he went down with an injury in Week One last year that cost him the season. His knee injury happened long enough ago that he’s suddenly turned into a hot property before camp begins here, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals all reportedly reaching out to him. For the moribund Jaguars, Westrbook caught 66 passes in each of his last two healthy seasons and hauled in 717 yards and five touchdowns in 2018.

Perfect fit: New Orleans Saints

You could hardly blame Westrbook for going with the Chiefs if the opportunity to play for a ring is there, but the Saints are in nearly as bad a position as the Packers when it comes to their wide receiver room. For years, Drew Brees could turn any Subway Sandwich Artist NOLA pulled off the street into a star, at least for a game. Presumptive starter Jameis Winston can make no such claim. Westbrook could easily slide into the Saints’ No. 3 and might even be better than No. 2 Tre’Quan Smith. He’s only ever played with subpar QBs, so the jury is still out on what the kid can really do.

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