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Three Affordable Tight Ends the Jets Should Target in Free Agency

New York could sign one of these three veteran tight ends in free agency this offseason.

Blake Pace

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One of the most glaring needs this offseason for the New York Jets is a jolt to the tight end room; a group which placed near the bottom this past season in targets, receptions and yards. 

Ryan Griffin, the leader of the club, finished with 261 yards and a pair of touchdowns with backup (and upcoming free agent) Tyler Kroft just behind him with 173 yards and a lone score.

This is nowhere near the production level you need from your tight ends in modern football, especially when two tight-end sets are your go-to for run plays and therefore a key component to the play action game. This past season 31% of their run plays came by way of 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends), higher than the average across the league. While Mike LaFleur elected to go wider in passing situations, 86% of their passing plays featured at least one, if not more, tight ends on the field.

Not only is it important to add these tight ends this spring, but it’s just as important to get the right mix of them as well. One that can be dominant blocking in the run game is essential given their usage of two tight-end sets, and one who makes for a solid receiver will help provide Zach Wilson with another safety valve on checkdown and red zone situations.

READ: PFF Advises Jets to Sign This Tight End in Free Agency

There is one tight end available that provides both, and his fit would make a lot of sense in New York, but this series is focused on some lower-tier options that won’t break the bank. Former Cowboys tight end Dalton Schultz could really raise some eyebrows in New York, but his $12 million (and rising) AAV price tag makes him a stayaway for this conversation. 

Instead, let’s look at a combination of cheap tight ends that can provide that same value and can add a crucial boost to this Jets offense.

Three Affordable Tight Ends the Jets Should Target This Offseason

Here are three low-budget tight ends for the Jets to sign in free agency this offseason, giving Zach Wilson more weapons on offense

David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku breaks a tackle
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

There are a few tight ends this free agency that just never lived up to their potential coming out of college, but none are more enticing to me than Cleveland’s David Njoku. 

The box scores never looked pretty, and honestly how could they have given the Browns lack of a passing game the last few years, but the advanced metrics are extremely friendly to the five-year vet.

Njoku finished this past year with the 14th-best grade by a tight end, according to PFF, grading ahead of Darren Waller, Mike Gesicki and T.J. Hockenson. Most tight ends flourish in one specific category, but Njoku graded well in all of receiving, run blocking and pass blocking.

Coming out of Miami in the 2017 NFL Draft class, Njoku’s measurables at the combine graded as a 71% comparison to George Kittle. His arm length ranks in the 97th percentile for tight ends, and his speed and jumping all grade out extremely well too—all in the 80th percentile or higher. Injuries have slowed his development, but the case could be made that Cleveland is just not the right fit for his abilities. Pairing him with the right offensive system to bring out the George Kittle in him could make his next few seasons his true arrival to the NFL.

READ: Why the Jets Should Sign David Njoku in Free Agency

Tight end is also a position that just takes time. The greats certainly show it early on in their careers, but there are several cases in which it takes three or four years for a tight end to fully adjust to the pro game. Given his measurables, grading and athleticism, taking a flier on Njoku could pay off heavily when it’s all said and done.

Mo Alie-Cox, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox breaks tackle
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The former VCU basketball player turned NFL tight end hits free agency with the potential to leave the Colts for the first time in his career. His top-10 finish in run blocking by a tight end, graded by PFF, is just what LaFleur needs in New York. Setting the edge for leading-rushing Jonathan Taylor paved the way for a handful of breakaway runs, something that could create a similar impact for Michael Carter in his sophomore season.

He’s not much of an asset in the receiving game but is wrapping up his second consecutive season with 300-plus receiving yards—something the Jets have not had since 2019. Standing at a massive 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Alie-Cox can also be that safety blanket in the red zone with his ability to box out defenders.

Cheap, strong in the run game and a big-bodied target? Alie-Cox could certainly provide a sneaky, but crucial, upgrade to this tight end group in 2022.

Maxx Williams, Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals TE Maxx Williams runs with football
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

After a season-ending injury crippled what looked like a breakout year for the seven-year vet, Arizona’s Maxx Williams enters free agency with a mixed bag of expectations. Despite being nine yards away from surpassing his highest total since 2015 in just a third of the games played, every other season to this point has seemed like a disappointment. His career high in touchdowns is just one, and he’s yet to eclipse 250 yards since his rookie season.

All that said, his run-blocking grade in 2020 was the second-best by a tight end in the NFL since 2017. His 6-foot-4, 252-pound frame adds the same value as Alie-Cox in the red zone and short-yardage situation, and his expected market is set to be in the $6 million AAV range—which could go down depending on how teams feel about his injury history.

If the beginning of his 2021 season is the new norm for Williams, and his run-blocking prowess continues once healthy, he’ll be a great candidate to have paving the way in New York at the tight end position.

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Blake Pace
BLAKE PACE

Covering the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated, Blake Pace is an Upstate New York native and a James Madison University alumnus. He previously served as the Sports Editor for JMU’s student-run paper The Breeze, and is a former contributor to SB Nation’s Stampede Blue. 

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