John Supowitz| June 5th, 2019
It’s well known that the tight end position is thin. There is some valuable talent, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Zach Ertz to name a few, but not many others you can depend on. This past Tuesday, June 7th, the New England Patriots released Austin Seferain-Jenkins one day into mandatory mini-camp. Although he has had personal issues and injuries when on the field, he is a reliable player at the tight end position and could help your team. Here’s a list of teams Seferian-Jenkins could have fantasy value with.
Oakland Raiders
Oakland is currently thin at the tight end position. In the previous two seasons, Raiders starting TE Jared Cook caught 122 passes for 1,584 yards and led the team both seasons in receiving yards. He signed with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason. Seferian-Jenkins’ season-high in receptions is 50 in 2017, the only current Raiders’ tight end to even come close is Luke Wilson with 45, oh wait, that’s his CAREER reception total.
New York Jets
Let’s talk about Seferian-Jenkins’ previous team. He had his best year in receptions and second best in receiving yards in 2017 with Jets, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring him back. The Jets drafted Trevon Wesco with the 121st pick in this year’s draft. His scouting report according to Rotoworld: “Wesco was largely a passing-game afterthought in college but earned scouting raves for his in-line and lead blocking with dominant flashes on tape. Wesco projects as a Nick Boyle-level pro as a probable No. 2 tight end.” Austin could be a viable addition to that offense as a pass-catching tight end.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers currently have a future Hall of Famer in Greg Olsen, but he’s missed 16 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. Cam Newton’s questionable shoulder means he could use more weapons on offense. Carolina could look to Seferain-Jenkins as an insurance policy if they need someone to step up at the tight end position.
Miami Dolphins
Last season, Miami did not get much production from their tight ends. Their total yards at that position was 388 yards. Their notable tight end signing this off-season was Dwayne Allen. Allen had an all but forgettable stint in New England with 13 catches for 113 yards in two seasons.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have begun a whole new era featuring rookie and number one overall pick Kyler Murray. Their tight end from last year, Ricky Seal-Jones, failed to have a double-digit reception game and only gained 50+ yards three times. With a young quarterback behind center, it could help to have a veteran tight end.
New York Giants
This is another team that is looking into the future by drafting quarterback Daniel Jones in the first round. Eli Manning is still the quarterback of the Giants for now, and he is someone that loves his tight ends. Evan Engram‘s position is technically listed as a tight end, but he is more of glorified slot receiver with below-average blocking skills. Bringing in Seferian-Jenkins could move him permanently to the receiver position and give the Giants a tight end that is an efficient blocker and pass catcher. Eli Manning is known to look for his tight end inside the red zone, and Austin could produce high TD numbers if he were to end up with big blue.
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