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Breaking down the Redskins options to upgrade the tight end position

By Jacob Camenker

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Tyler Eifert #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a San Francisco 49ers stop during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Tyler Eifert #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a San Francisco 49ers stop during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 03: Jacob Hollister #48 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a game at CenturyLink Field on November 03, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 03: Jacob Hollister #48 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during a game at CenturyLink Field on November 03, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Trade market

It’s unclear exactly which tight ends might be on the trade market at some point this offseason. And in all likelihood, the Redskins won’t make a move to get one in this fashion unless a great buy-low opportunity exists.

With that said, here are some potential options that are worth thinking about.

Jacob Hollister, Seahawks. The Seahawks tendered Hollister, a restricted free agent, at the second-round level. So obviously, they at least like what he has to offer. They acquired him in a trade with the New England Patriots last offseason and he had his best year to date catching 41 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns. However, the Seahawks signed Greg Olsen this offseason and still have Will Dissly in the fold. So, if they get enough compensation for Hollister — perhaps a fifth-round pick would do the trick — they may consider moving him. If that’s the case, the Redskins should have an interest in him.

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Ed Dickson, Seahawks. Another member of the Seahawks crowded tight end room. Dickson may end up being a cap casualty given that he has less than $1 million in dead money in the final year of his deal. But if the Redskins want a stopgap veteran, the 32-year-old could make sense, if he can stay healthy. Dickson spent four seasons with Ron Rivera‘s Carolina Panthers so maybe the team would consider giving up a seventh-round pick or a swap of late-round picks to get him. More likely though, they would wait for him to be released by Seattle, which seems inevitable.

Jason Croom, Bills. The Bills have a deep tight end room with two draft picks from last season, Dawson Knox and Tommy Sweeney, on the roster along with veteran Tyler Kroft and Lee Smith. They signed Kroft to a three-year, $18 million deal last offseason, so they’ll likely give him another chance to serve as a complement to Knox while Smith has long been one of the league’s better blocking options. That could make Croom the odd man out. Croom caught 22 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown in 2018 but missed all of last season on IR. Croom is just 26 and has a nice 6-foot-5, 246-pound frame. If the Redskins like his upside, they may be willing to ship out a seventh-round pick for him.

Trey Burton, Bears. In two seasons with the Bears, Burton has largely been a disappointment after agreeing to a deal that averaged $8 million per season. He caught 54 passes for 569 yards and five touchdowns in his first year with the team, but he couldn’t get and stay on the field last season. Given his contract, the Bears may be willing to offload him in more of a salary-dump deal than anything else. Given that Burton is still just 28 and has proven to be a solid receiver at times, he could make sense as a buy-low option for the Redskins. And if things don’t go well, they can part with him with less than $2 million in dead cap before the 2021 season.

Adam Shaheen, Bears. Another former Bears tight end that has struggled, Shaheen was a second-round pick in 2017 but has failed to become a productive member of the Chicago offense. A change of scenery could help him out so maybe the Redskins would flip a late-round pick to take a chance on the 25-year-old.

Jeff Heuerman, Broncos. The Broncos have Noah Fant installed as their tight end of the future and some intriguing younger options (Andrew Beck, Troy Fumagalli) behind him. They could consider parting with Heuerman for the right price. The former third-round pick in 2015 has averaged 10.8 yards per catch during his career despite mostly being a backup. He has one year at a hair over $4 million left on his contract so maybe the Redskins would consider giving the 27-year-old a chance to start.

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Who knows if any of these trade candidates will actually be on the open market? The point is that some of them might make sense as Redskins targets whether via trade or after final cuts if the team doesn’t add more at the tight end position. They’ll certainly give someone with upside a shot in 2020. But they could also wait to truly fill this hole as they attempt to rebuild their roster.

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