Determining what Commanders should do at tight end position

As discombobulated as the Washington Commanders wide receiver position seems to be, the tight ends are a little island of stability. Not since the days of Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis have the Commanders (yeah – that will take some getting used to) come into a season with such a clearly defined tight end group.

Logan Thomas, assuming he makes a full recovery from his knee injury, is the clear number one. Second-year player John Bates is an obvious up-and-comer who should take on a larger role in 2022. And the athletically freakish Sammis Reyes should serve as a fascinating developmental player and special teams stud.

Enough said.

Except there’s always more to say. The Washington Commanders might like to add a quality two-way player as a depth piece should Thomas or Bates go down with a serious injury in the upcoming season.

Ricky Seals-Jones beat out other young vets Deon Yelder and Temarrick Hemingway last training camp to snag this role, and then was pressed into service when Thomas suffered two separate injuries during the season. Seals-Jones has always been a decent pass catcher, and he was just that for Washington. But he is a free agent and would probably like to parlay some success in 2021 into a real shot at a starting job – something he will not get in Washington with Bates and a healthy Thomas in the fold.

I assume Seals-Jones will sign elsewhere, and if he does, the Washington Commanders (still weird, but I’m getting used to it) will look to bring in another young vet or two to compete with Bates and Reyes.

As of now, the market is flush with quality tight ends. Some of these names will re-sign with their current team before they really hit the market, but as of this writing, Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki, Evan Engram, O.J. Howard, Gerald Everett, and CJ Uzomah are all scheduled to become free agents. If the Commanders were not set at the position, all of these players – none of whom have turned 30 – would draw interest. Schultz would be especially intriguing, as he is just 25 and his departure would hurt the rival Cowboys’ offense.

But none of them will figure into Washington’s plans.

I’ve been thinking for a couple years that Mo-Alie Cox was on the verge of breaking into the upper tier of tight ends in the league, but he cannot seem to sustain success. That might make him, along with a player like Anthony Firkser, value additions, but they also seem  unlikely to fit given the current tight end situation. The only scenario in which the team might pursue a player like that would be if Thomas suffers significant setbacks in his recovery.

Robert Tonyan – one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets in Green Bay – and MyCole Pruitt – a solid journeyman blocker with some limited value as a pass catcher – are both coming off serious injuries. If healthy, a team like Washington might take a flyer on a player like that, but that too seems doubtful.

Washington likes Hemingway, and he will most likely stick around and perhaps work his way into a more prominent role next season. And there is a good chance the Commanders will spend a day 3 draft pick on a good blocking tight end who can play special teams. If a good blocking prospect like Iowa State’s Charlie Kolar were to slip back into the later rounds, Washington might be tempted to grab him.

But spending a mid-round pick on Bates in 2021 and then watching him develop, means that there is not a pressing need. The Washington Commanders (still seems a little cumbersome, don’t you think?) certainly have other more urgent needs. So I’ll just toss out one more name who I think might be a good fit both in terms of need and in terms a price.

Geoff Swaim is a mid-level veteran who has served primarily as an in-line blocker for several teams – most recently Tennessee. He could have some value as a blocker and can still catch a ball or two if needed. There are other players like him who will be available. Seattle’s Will Dissley is another, though I suspect his price tag will be too high for the Commanders.

The bottom line on this is that, assuming Thomas makes a full recovery, Washington is playing with house money, tinkering around the edges and looking to add depth and maybe a special skill or two at the tight end position. If Thomas’s recovery is problematic, then it’s time to re-think the offseason approach.