As a dynasty owner, one must think beyond the upcoming season and more into the future of their franchise.
One important area of focus for every dynasty owner should be which players are entering a “contract year”. The possibility of free agency not only impacts the player themselves, but their former and future team’s depth chart and the
players that currently make that up.
NFL Players who are entering a contract year have that extra incentive to showcase their ability to play in the NFL in hopes of earning that blockbuster contract and therefore should be strongly considered by dynasty owners when
making final roster decisions during the off-season.
With Kyle Rudolph recently signing a new deal with the Minnesota Vikings for $36 million dollars over four years with $9 million guaranteed, other NFL Tight Ends entering a contract year are paying close attention.
This series concludes with four Tight Ends that are looking to find their next big contract and therefore deserve the attention of dynasty owners who are wanting to cash in as well as we enter the 2019 NFL season.
Hunter Henry (San Diego Chargers):
Hunter tore his ACL in late May just before the beginning of the 2018 season after catching nearly 73% of his targets for 579 yards and 4 TD’s his 2nd year in the league and was looking to improve on that in 2018 before his injury.
Henry has had a full year to recover from his injury and should have a bounce back season with Phillip Rivers still under center.
The Chargers have a competitive team and are looking to take over the AFC West and do some damage in the playoffs and having a reliable TE is definitely a part of the equation to accomplishing that feat.
Outlook for 2019:
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Hunter is looking forward to getting back into the flow of things with the Chargers and moving on from his past injury.
I look for him to have a breakout season in 2019 as he strives to earn a new contract with the help of fellow quarterback Phillip Rivers who is also entering a contract year that that will likely end with deciding whether he wants to continue playing the game for a 17th season or retire and enjoy his family after his wife just gave birth to his ninth child in March.
I wouldn’t look for Henry to be in another uniform next year as the Chargers will do what they have to do to keep a top tight end on their team as long he shows he can stay on the field and produce. He has some big shoes to fill with Antonio Gates looking to find a lawn chair instead of a locker room but Hunter has what it takes to do so as long as he has a successful recovery.
Austin Hooper (Atlanta Falcons):
The Falcons have been looking for a solid, consistent tight end since the departure of Tony Gonzalez and may found one in Austin Hooper.
After only starting 7 games last year, Hooper finished the season with 71 catches for 660 yards and 4 TD’s. And more impressive is the fact that he caught those 71 balls with just 88 targets meaning he caught an astounding 80 percent of his targets.
Hooper quietly had a very solid year especially considering his ability to take advantage of the opportunities he had.
Outlook for 2019:
If Hooper can steal a few more targets from Julio Jones and company, especially in the red zone, he is set for a big pay day
And, like the Chargers with Hunter Henry, the Falcons will make sure Austin Hooper is hooked up with a fat contract sooner than later if he continues to display the talent that he has to prove to the team and the fans that the Falcons made a great pick in the 3rd round of the 2016 NFL Draft as there were plenty of other teams who had their eye on him including the Broncos, Colts, 49ers, Raiders and Dolphins before the draft.
Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle (Indianapolis Colts):
The last two tight ends to be mentioned here are both ironically play for the same team, the Indianapolis Colts.
Eric signed a two-year deal with the Colts in March of 2018 after being released from the Lions and did not disappoint after hauling in 66 catches from 110 targets for 13 TD’s while adding another TD rushing the ball. He suffered a groin injury that required a minor surgery after the 2018 season but has been rumored to be running at full speed today.
Doyle has had a couple solid seasons in the past but can’t seem to stay healthy and on the field. Jack missed five games with a hip injury before being placed on IR with a kidney injury.
Injuries are his biggest concern but I wouldn’t consider Ebron his best friend either although the two do complement each other well so it’s up to the colts and the players if they all want to help each other compete for a title.
Outlook for 2019:
Ebron is probably wishing he would have hit the free agent after coming off a remarkable 2018 NFL season with the Colts resulting in an opportunity for a vacation in Hawaii and to play in the Pro Bowl as he will have a difficult time duplicating the season he had last year especially with another TE looking to cash in during the last season of his current contract.
That other TE is Jack Doyle who is the bigger of the two but also the older which likely means he is the odd man out next year depending on how things play out in Indianapolis over the course of the next 6 months. With the market being so thin, he most certainly will get another opportunity if the Colts let him bolt.
In Summary:
The free agent market for tight ends next year is going to be slim to none and I’m leaning on the none side so there’s not a lot to be excited for in dynasty football when it comes to tight end so be prepared to either hang on to what you got, get lucky in the draft or pay dearly for a top ten tight end.
To make my case, here are a few of the other tight ends set to test free agency next year………Tyler Higbee (Rams), Rico Gathers (Cowboys), Nick Vannett (Seahawks) and Seth Devalve (Browns) if that tells you anything.
Tight end is a tough market so think twice before selling and be prepared to pay if you are looking to buy. It’s a tough market but hopefully the 2019 draft class will help that as it appears to have been a deep one.
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