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Rhett Ellison announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, saying his "emotional rollercoaster" led to this very tough decision. And it was also a decision that takes another tight end off the Giants' roster this offseason.
The Giants, who also cut Scott Simonson earlier, are left with former first-round pick Evan Engram and an intriguing prospect in Kaden Smith on the depth chart. These are two young players that could complement each other well, but there is too much risk here with Engram's injury history and Smith's small sample size in the league.
So, while GM Dave Gettleman has other pressing issues to attend to this offseason, finding another option at tight end should still be on the list. Whether it's addressing the situation in the NFL Draft or free agency, the Giants do have several options to choose from.
Here are the avenues they could take...
Free Agency
There are some very good options out there like Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, and Eric Ebron. But the Giants are still confident in Engram being healthy and the matchup nightmare they know him to be. So going after that tier of free agents doesn't seem realistic at the moment.
Here are some more plausible options:
- Jason Witten: It just makes sense. Jason Garrett is the Giants' new offensive coordinator and there was speculation that Witten would join him as the team's tight ends coach. However, at 37 years old last season, he totaled 529 yards on 63 receptions with four touchdowns as a part of the best offense in the league down in Dallas. Witten can still play, and even though his sworn enemy was the Giants for the past 16 years, he may just want to link up with his former coach again. At a good price, of course.
- Tyler Eifert: When he's healthy, he can be just as nightmarish as Engram in the open field. But that's the key right there: health. His gruesome ankle injury in 2018 cut his season short after four games. He was back with the Bengals for all of last season, but with their overall struggles, he had just 436 yards on 43 receptions.
- Ricky Seals-Jones: David Njoku's injury gave Seals-Jones a chance with the Browns last season, and he showed flashes as a solid backup tight end. He had four touchdowns and 229 yards on 14 receptions, and he also turns 25 in four days. Another young option at a bargain price could be a good idea.
2020 NFL Draft
If the Giants don't want to go the free agency route, they can always find some more depth in the draft. Here are a few players they could target:
- Adam Trautman: The 6-foot-5, 251-pounder leaves Dayton after his best season -- 916 yards on 70 receptions with 14 touchdowns. That earned him a Senior Bowl invite, where he impressed again, but it was interesting to see him run a 4.80 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. The Giants could perhaps get him later on in the draft on Day Two. Some, though, have him as high as the second round.
- Thaddeus Moss: The LSU product and son of Hall-of-Famer Randy Moss had a speed bump when a Jones fracture was revealed in his right foot during his evaluation at the Combine. He opted to have surgery on it in order to be ready for the 2020 NFL season. Moss was still projected to be a middle-of-the-pack draft pick, and with his stout blocking ability and knack for the big play -- as evidenced by his College Football Playoff performance -- he would be a great option for the Giants later in the draft.
- Colby Parkinson: At 6-foot-7, 252 pounds, Parkinson comes out of Stanford with 589 yards on 48 catches last season as an obvious mismatch for linebackers and safeties trying to guard him. He ran a 4.83 40 at the Combine, but the Giants would likely look at him as a blocker and big red zone target if they were to draft him.