Seattle added a tight end to their roster via free agency, but it was not the name many folks were clamoring for. Anthony McCoy, he of the thread-bare achilles tendons, is back for another go-around with the Seahawks. There will be no press conferences to announce the deal. Meanwhile, Julius Thomas will sit in front of Jacksonville cameras in the next day or so smiling after inking a megadeal with the Jaguars. He was a player some fans were excited about adding to the Seahawks. I am among the few who are happy the Seahawks kept their powder dry.
He would be another affordable addition who would add depth to the roster and provide another blocking option. Seattle may feel like they can get by without another blocking tight end as they have started to get accustomed to their big tight end sets with guys like Garry Gilliam or Alvin Bailey.
High risk, high reward makes sense for Seattle at the tight end position. They have Willson, Helfet, and now McCoy. Bringing in a guy like Cameron would give them more upside than anyone currently on the roster, but they would have fallback options should he not pan out.
Stop paying top dollar for receivers
News flash: the Seahawks do not pass much. Here’s another secret: none of their high-priced free agent additions at wide receiver or tight end have transformed the passing game. Not Sidney Rice. Not Zach Miller. Not Percy Harvin. Julius Thomas is a unique athlete who is tough to match up against, but he also is allergic to blocking. Is it really worth paying $9M/year for a guy who will mostly be a red zone target in Seattle? Not in my book. And thankfully, not in John Schneider’s either.
Luke Willson is not Thomas, but he showed glimpses of talent in the passing game and is a far more willing blocker than Thomas will ever be. Cooper Helfet is a decent receiving tight end, but struggles to block. Anthony McCoy, when healthy, is the best combination of catching and blocking ability at that position on the roster. He comes cheap.
His signing leaves plenty of room to add another tight end to the mix, and Seattle can go either way in terms of which type of player they add.
Anthony Fasano
Fasano will not excite anyone, but he does the dirty work that a coach like Tom Cable appreciates. He is a reliable receiver and a decent red zone target with 31 touchdowns in his career.
He would be another affordable addition who would add depth to the roster and provide another blocking option. Seattle may feel like they can get by without another blocking tight end as they have started to get accustomed to their big tight end sets with guys like Garry Gilliam or Alvin Bailey.
Jordan Cameron
Cameron would be right alongside Thomas in terms of value if he did not have a disturbing injury history. A team like Cleveland probably would never let him go. He is an ultra-talented receiver at the tight end spot, who may be a concussion away from retiring. That drives his market value way down.
High risk, high reward makes sense for Seattle at the tight end position. They have Willson, Helfet, and now McCoy. Bringing in a guy like Cameron would give them more upside than anyone currently on the roster, but they would have fallback options should he not pan out.
Tony Moeaki
The team can always just fallback to a guy like Moeaki who played well for Seattle in a short stint last year. He has his own injury history to contend with, but nothing quite as dire as Cameron.
He worked well with Russell Wilson, and was a better blocker than Cameron or Thomas ever will be. His asking price will be small, and the Seahawks can afford to let the market play out before pulling the trigger.
Other options:
- Rob Housler
- Jermain Gresham
- Virgil Green
- Lance Kendricks
