Julius Thomas, Oakland Raiders
Bursting onto the scene in 2013, Broncos tight end Julius Thomas proved to be one of the most potent middle-of-the-field pass catchers in the NFL. While Thomas maintained a grueling pace in touchdown catches, his production dipped this year due to injury and declining play from Peyton Manning. Still, he’s undoubtedly the top tight end target in 2015 and will draw a number of suitors. Thomas has made no secret of his affinity for the Raiders organization and he has familiarity with new head coach, Jack Del Rio.
Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins
This offseason, Jordan Cameron made sure to phrase himself as a “pass catcher” on his Twitter account. Unfortunately, he’s been unavailable to do much of that for a large part of this year. There are a lot of things for Cameron to consider this off-season, not least of which is who will be playing quarterback for the Browns next year. Recent reports suggest Cameron is as good as gone this year, which would clear a path for teams looking for a young tight end entering his prime. The Dolphins scraped the bottom of the barrel in red zone efficiency last season and they may want to upgrade the position to someone better fits what Bill Lazor wants to do on offense.
Larry Donnell, New York Giants
Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Larry Donnell has quickly became one of Eli Manning’s favorite targets this year. The Giants would be best served to minimize turnover on their highly intricate and precise offense led by offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. Donnell will grow and improve under a longer term contract with the Giants.
Jermaine Gresham, Denver Broncos
Given Cincinnati’s sometimes anemic passing game, Gresham has remained relatively quiet, even after Eifert’s early season departure. He is an athletic presence at the position that can be used in a multitude of ways as a receiver and blocker. Gresham’s multi-tool ability fits well with new Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak’s tight end offensive philosophy.
Charles Clay, Baltimore Ravens
Fan favorite Charles Clay has been a staple in he Miami offense despite his limitations as a complete tight end. As a receiver, Clay routinely beat linebackers in man and zone coverage while showing the type of catch point concentration normally seen from wide receivers. Dennis Pitta’s health has proved to be too unreliable for the Ravens not to address the position. Marc Trestman should be able to get the most out of Clay’s unique abilities on offense.
