NFL 2008 Free Agents - Tight Ends

It is just about free agent time in the NFL. In this league of great parity, free agency is a very important part of what goes on in this sport. Just think about the outcome that free agency had on the sport's biggest stage, the Superbowl. Without the acquisition of Donte Stallworth and Wes Welker, the likelihood of the New England Patriots having the best offense in the history of the NFL is- well, it's unlikely. Then of course, there was the franchise tagging of Asante Samuel, a move that kept him as the team's best cornerback and kept him away from the other scavengers that would have loved a crack at them. And if the Superbowl Champion New York Giants don't sign Kawika Mitchell this past off-season, who knows how vulnerable they are in the running game, especially when you consider how he almost single-handedly stopped Lawrence Maroney in the Superbowl.

Tight ends don't make a lot of money, thus, the big name guys rarely switch teams in the off-season because their franchises can usually afford to keep them at their market value. So while players like Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez usually get contract extensions well before their current deals are ever up, these other guys in this year's free agent pool will have to test the waters to see exactly what teams are willing to pay them this off-season.

Eric Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints - For a while, it looked like we were seeing the prolific Eric Johnson of old. He had caught 21 balls in the first 4 games of the season. But the Saints offense quickly turned away from him. Nevertheless, Johnson still proved he could play, especially considering his ability to get open over the middle and make tough catches against linebackers. His 48 receptions in 2007 came in 14 games of play, and he could be of great assistance to a team looking for a safety outlet in their offense.

L.J. Smith, UFA, Philadelphia Eagles - You may have heard that the Eagles slapped Smith with the franchise tag earlier this month. This means any team who wants L.J.'s services will have to forfeit two first round picks. It is unfathomable that any team would do that for a tight end that only had 22 receptions, 236 receiving yards, 1 touchdown, and a litany of injuries in 2007. So it is safe to say that Smith will be an Eagle in 2008, however, he is still technically a free agent this off-season and is free to field offers for his services.

Marcus Pollard, UFA, Seattle Seahawks - Pollard is getting up there age, and is slowly turning into a role playing tight end as his performance on the field has become unreliable at best. The Seahawks used him sparingly in 2007, often opting for 4 wide receiver sets. Pollard only had 28 receptions for 273 yards and 2 touchdowns last season, so it is hard to believe that he will garner a lot of attention from teams this free agency. However, he is a decent blocker, and he could find his way onto a team due to his experience and knowledge of several different NFL offensive systems.

Ben Troupe, UFA, Tennessee Titans - Troupe's best years came in his rookie and sophomore seasons in 2004 and 2005. His last few seasons have been destroyed by injuries. However, the 2^nd round pick of the 2004 NFL draft still has a lot of promise, and if he can be healthy, he can help many teams looking for size at the TE position. Pollard only caught 5 receptions in 2007.