The first and second waves of free agency have come and gone. At this moment in time there are not a lot of players remaining to make a sizable contribution to a team. However with the retirement of C.J. Fiedorowicz the Houston Texans need to decide how they will address the vacancy. The draft is an option and it was covered in a previous article. The avenue discussed here will analyze the remaining free agent tight ends and determine whether they can help the Texans this season.
Julius Thomas
Once upon a time Julius Thomas was a rising star at the tight end position. However after stints in Jacksonville and Miami, Thomas is unemployed and looking for a job. Thomas can be a dynamic pass catching tight end that could easily step in and replace Fiedorowicz.
Deshaun Watson could use another option to throw to. DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V will see most of the targets, but Thomas could be an excellent third option in the Texans offense.
In his seven-year career Thomas has 226 receptions for 2,406 yards and 36 touchdowns. This type of production would work well in Houston.
Marcedes Lewis
Speaking of former Jaguars tight ends, Marcedes Lewis is still available. This is quite surprising since Lewis has been an integral part of the Jacksonville offense for 12 seasons.
If Lewis were to come to Houston he would not be a high volume target. This would actually work best for an offense that already features two dynamic receivers. Bringing Lewis in as Watson’s safety blanket is not a bad idea.
Lewis finished his 12 years in Jacksonville with 375 receptions for 4,502 yards and 33 touchdowns. Lewis has experience as the tertiary option in an offense and can continue to do so in Houston.
Brent Celek
Like the aforementioned Lewis, Brent Celek would work well as a tertiary option in the Texans offense. Celek has been a mainstay in the Philadelphia offense and remains unsigned after the Eagles Super Bowl victory.
There was a time when Celek was regarded much higher as a tight end but those days have come and gone. Celek could work quite well in the Texans offense. Celek would be able to take advantage of favorable matchups from the defense. While the defense focuses on Hopkins and Fuller, Celek can find a way to get open down the field.
As a member of the Eagles Celek caught 398 passes for 4,998 yards and 31 touchdowns.