Report: Redskins worked out former Colts TE Erik Swoope

NFL teams are always interested in tight ends with high athletic upside. That’s why it’s not a surprise that the Washington Redskins have worked out former Colts tight end Erik Swoope.

In his final year for the Miami Hurricanes, Erik Swoope didn’t look like much of a professional prospect. He averaged 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds as a role player for the Hurricanes and didn’t have a future as an NBA player. However, his athletic ability didn’t go unnoticed.

Swoope decided to give football a try and converted to the tight end position. Basketball players like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham had turned into some of the best players at that position, so Swoope gave it a shot. He ended up signing with the Indianapolis Colts and spent five years developing his game. He caught eight passes for 87 yards and three touchdowns in his final year, but he didn’t generate much interest early on the free agent market.

However, now it seems that some teams are showing a renewed interest in Swoope. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Redskins are one of a few teams that have worked out Swoope, and he should be signed in the coming days.

It’s always fun when both Grudens show an interest in a player, so perhaps one of them will see enough to sign Swoope. And for the Redskins, adding him would make sense.

At the moment, the Redskins have a solid-looking tight end group. However, Jordan Reed is still very injury prone and Vernon Davis turned 35 this offseason. So, while they have a high ceiling as a receiving duo, they are both very risky as well. Having depth to back them up would be smart.

While backup tight ends Jeremy Sprinkle, Matt Flanagan, and JP Holtz all have some upside, it still wouldn’t hurt to bring in another guy to compete with them. Swoope is a terrific athlete with great size (6-4, 255 pounds) and has shown red-zone ability and ball skills. He could emerge as a quality backup, and given that he’s still just 27, there’s a chance that he could end up reaching his full potential.

After all, Swoope did come into football late, so maybe five years of development have served him well.

At this point in the offseason, adding a guy like Swoope would be a smart move. He’s an excellent athlete and could compete for a depth spot at an unsettled position. And at the very least, having him on the 90-man roster certainly couldn’t hurt.

We’ll see if the Redskins end up being the team that signs Swoope, but for the time being, it’s just an interesting note as they continue to look for the best possible players for their unit.