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There were reports over the weekend that a Zach Ertz trade could come sooner rather than later — something most had expected for months —, but that would leave the Eagles without much depth at the tight end position.
Ertz didn’t exactly keep his feelings toward Howie Roseman and the organization a secret last year, saying that he didn’t think he’d be in the Eagles’ long-term plans. After the season, Ertz spoke to reporters and said that he put those feelings — and not getting a new deal — aside as he prepared for Week 1, but then as he missed time due to injury and lackluster performances (thanks in large part to an increasingly problematic offense and QB position), the writing was on the wall.
Still, Ertz was the heir-apparent to be the team’s tenured TE, following in Brent Celek’s footsteps. Now, the team really only has Dallas Goedert locked in for the 2021 season. Richard Rodgers has been a solid veteran contributor, but he’s an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be back — or asked to be back — in Philly.
The team has been working on transitioning Hakeem Butler and Tyree Jackson to the tight end position (from WR and QB, respectively). They also had Jason Croom and Caleb Wilson on the roster last season, who each had their own brief appearances.
Former head coach Doug Pederson’s heavy utilization of 12-personnel is no longer a consideration for the team, and we could find that under Nick Sirianni, the tight end priority and usage will be reduced (the Colts’ usage was in the middle of the pack). Still, they don’t currently have any TE with more than three years experience, and that makes for a lot more questions than answers.
What should the Eagles do at tight end?
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