Jacksonville has struggled to find a solution at tight end since it let the aging Marcedes Lewis walk at the conclusion of the 2017 season. It drafted Josh Oliver in the third round in 2019, but he has just three career catches.
The Jaguars hoped they might find the answer in veteran Tyler Eifert, but his production was limited. They could pick up a club option on Eifert to keep him around next season, but with a number of quality options available, this seems unlikely. Free agents like Hunter Henry and Jared Cook are intriguing options, but perhaps Jacksonville should be looking to the trade market if they want a veteran.
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is coming off a frustrating 2020 season. The 30-year-old was in talks with the Eagles to extend his contract, but those talks broke down before the season started, and Ertz voiced his frustration at the time.
“It’s been frustrating at times,” he said. “It’s been difficult. I’m going to play like this is my last year. I’m going to leave it all out there. It shouldn’t be that difficult to get a deal done.”
The two parties never came to an agreement, and Ertz’s production lagged behind in 2020, largely due to an injury that held him out for much of it. He finished with 36 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown. Now, especially with the emergence of Dallas Goedert, Ertz’s time in Philly could be dwindling.
The Eagles could either trade him or release him to save $4.7 million in cap space. The catch is, Philadelphia can’t save cap space by trading him before the start of the new league year on March 17. So, if it can’t clear enough cap space by then, the organization will have to release Ertz.
Should he become a free agent, he would definitely be a player the Jaguars should consider targeting. But even if Philadelphia chooses to trade him, Jacksonville should be one of the suitors.
If the Jags want to take a swing at Ertz, they have someone in their front office who is familiar with him in senior personnel executive Tom Gamble. He was with the Eagles organization as a vice president of player personnel when they drafted Ertz. While he didn’t stick around with the team long, he at the least played a role in some evaluations on Ertz as a prospect and professional player.
Doing my typical FO/coaching tree research. A name to watch this offseason for the #Jaguars might be TE Zach Ertz. Tom Gamble, who is with Baalke and Jax now, was Philly’s VP of player personnel when Ertz was drafted.
Might not mean much, but it’s worth noting.
— James Johnson (@SportsGrind_Don) January 23, 2021
Ertz’s trade value likely won’t be extreme due to his age, the fact that he’s coming off an injured season and only has one year left on his contract. But if the price is right, the Jags could secure a relatively cheap option that would be an immediate upgrade over Eifert and James O’Shaughnessy.
But enough from us. We want to hear from Jags fans. Do you think Jacksonville should make a play to trade for Ertz or should it wait and see if he becomes a free agent? Should it target a different player entirely? Let us know what you think in the poll down below.