The Seattle Seahawks have positions on the team that will need to be filled. Many people will say they have a need for another defensive lineman, tight end, wide receiver and possibly another running back to name a few. It's time to take a look at some of the players that will be free agents at the tight end position.
The tight end position for the Seahawks that last few years has been a bit of a disappointment. Prior to the 2011 NFL season, the Seahawks signed free agent Zach Miller. Miller was coming over from the Oakland Raiders and had only one season with fewer than 50 catches, his rookie year in 2007. Since he arrived in Seattle, Miller's best season was in 2012 when he played in all 16 games and finished with 38 receptions, 396 yards and three touchdowns. Not all of this is Miller's fault as he has been asked to do a lot of blocking early in his time with the Seahawks. The 2014 season for Miller was a disappointment. Miller had surgery on his ankle and was never able to fully recover. He was finally placed on the season ending IR on November 12th, and finished the season with six receptions for 76 yards in three games.
The Seahawks also have Luke Willson on their roster. Willson was selected in the 2013 NFL draft in the 5th round with the 158th overall pick. Willson has slowly come along and late in the 2014 season became one of quarter back Russell Wilson's favorite targets. Willson finished the 2014 NFL season will career highs in receptions with 22, yards with 362 and touchdowns with three. The main issue will Willson has been drops. There were numerous times last season that Willson dropped passes that had the potential to be huge gainers.
Willson will be on the roster for a few more years as he is still in his rookie contract and is very cap friendly. The status of Miller is up in the air with the injury and his 2015 contract of $2.8 million (+ $2 million roster bonus). That's almost $5 million for a player that is getting older and is also coming off surgery twice in the last three years. It would be best for the Seahawks to cut ties with Miller and pursue one of the tight end free agents on the market.
There are three tight ends on the market the Seahawks should look at -- Jermaine Gresham, Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron. Thomas is a potential red flag though as Peyton Manning was his QB the last two years in Denver. Manning makes below average to average players look great. Gresham has not lived up to being a first round pick in Cincinnati.
The one that stands out is Cameron. Granted he suffered through injuries during the 2014 season, but look at his 2013 season when he had Brian Hoyer, Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden throwing him the ball. He finished 2013 with 80 receptions, 917 yards and seven touchdowns.
If Cameron can have those types of numbers in Cleveland with those quarterbacks, just imagine what he could do in Seattle with Wilson as his QB. The Seattle offense is a run oriented offense, but eventually they will need players that can catch the ball. Adding Cameron to the roster would only make them that much better of a team.