Getty The Green Bay Packers could be in the market for a tight end.
The Green Bay Packers are in the hunt for a tight end.
As the NFL trade deadline nears on Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm EST, the Packers are looking to fill the void of the injured Robert Tonyan. The starting tight end suffered a torn ACL late in the third quarter of the Packers’ win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Packers are doing their scouting on several tight ends — Evan Engram, Hayden Hurst, Jordan Akins and Jacob Hollister.
“Several teams believe the Packers are doing homework on tight ends as the deadline nears,” says Fowler. “Evan Engram and Hayden Hurst are high-end options. Jordan Akins and Jacob Hollister would be more affordable options.”
Following his ACL injury, Tonyan was ruled out for the season.
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Packers Short on Tight Ends Who Can Catch
The remaining tight ends on Green Bay’s roster are 16-year veteran Marcedes Lewis and youngsters Dominique Daffney, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis. Lewis serves as primarily a blocker during this stage of his career. Daffney, Deguara and Davis have seven career receptions combined.
In other words, the Packers are in desperate need of a receiving tight end following Tonyan’s injury.
Engram has previously shown potential for the New York Giants. The 27-year-old tight end caught 64 passes for 722 yards and six touchdowns during his rookie campaign. He was also named to the Pro Bowl last season.
However, he’s off to a rough start this year. Engram has just 23 grabs for 186 yards and a touchdown. He’s currently in the last year of his rookie contract and the 2-6 Giants are in a never-ending rebuild.
In the case of Hurst, he’s clearly expendable for the Atlanta Falcons due to rookie Kyle Pitts’ emergence. The fourth-year tight end was the Falcons’ go-to tight end last season, catching 56 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns.
However, those numbers are down to just 18 catches for 142 yards and a touchdown this season as Pitts becomes more and more featured in the offense.
In the case of Hollister, he’s found himself as an odd man out on a rebuilding Jacksonville Jaguars squad. The fifth-year tight end has appeared in just four games this season, being declared a healthy inactive for the team’s last game.
The 27-year-old tight end appeared in just 8% of the team’s snaps in his last game played in Week 6 versus the Miami Dolphins.
In Akins’ case, he’s playing on another rebuilding squad in the Houston Texans. The fourth-year tight end has 19 catches for 177 yards this season. He’s in the last year of his rookie contract.
Packers Lacking in Weapons Outside of Adams
With the Packers at 7-1, they’re currently jockeying with several other NFC teams for the top seed in the conference. Four other teams currently possess a record of at least 6-2.
Green Bay’s overly relies on Davante Adams as a receiving weapon. The big-play receiver has caught 52 passes this season. The next-closest producer at receiver and tight end is Tonyan at just 18 grabs.
The Packers need a legitimate receiving tight end to take the pressure off Adams and give Rodgers another receiving weapon entering the postseason.
They’ll look to acquire one before the trade deadline.