NFL Player News

Trautman is expected to step into a starting role this season, Katherine Terrell of the Athletic reports.

After letting both Jared Cook and Josh Hill walk in free agency, New Orleans did almost nothing to replenish the tight end room this offseason outside of signing Broncos castoff Nick Vannett. The team's belief in Trautman may be the main reason why, as the all-around tight end followed up a 900-yard, 14-touchdown 2019 season at Dayton with an impressive rookie campaign that saw Trautman finish as Pro Football Focus' No. 1 blocking tight end in 2020. Should a jump in targets follow his likely surge in playing time this fall, Trautman could become a significant fantasy contributor before long.

Alie-Cox has signed his second-round tender.

Cox will return to the Colts on a one-year deal in 2021 as a result of this move. He caught 31 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns as part of a deep tight end room last season but could play a more prominent role alongside Jack Doyle this season with Trey Burton now a free agent.

The Falcons aren't exercising the fifth-year option on Hurst's rookie contract, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The 2018 first-round pick got his big shot after a trade from Baltimore to Atlanta, but Hurst was underwhelming in his first season with the Falcons, putting up a modest 56-571-6 receiving line despite playing 70 percent of the snaps in a pass-happy Atlanta offense. He'll be working with a new coaching staff led by Arthur Smith in 2021, but the more important development for fantasy purposes is the Falcons' recent addition of No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts, the only FBS tight end to reach 700 receiving yards last season. Even if Hurst remains the nominal starter, he'll likely be replaced by Pitts in a lot of passing situations.

Coach Vic Fangio said Saturday that Okwuegbunam (knee) is progressing well but may not be ready for the start of training camp, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Okwuegbunam had a solid four games as a rookie before suffering an ACL tear, recording 11 catches for 121 yards and a score as the team's No. 2 tight end. The Missouri product continues to rehab his knee following surgery, and it's good news to hear his coach echo positive sentiments in his recovery.

The Texans selected Jordan in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 147th overall.

Jordan was a very productive pass catcher at Miami (FL), but as an undersized tight end (6-foot-3, 247 pounds) he didn't test as well as previously hoped, registering a 4.68-second pro day 40 to go with poor agility numbers and mediocre jumps. There's a thin line between a Jordan Reed and a Hunter Bryant, and it's tough to tell where Jordan lands specifically on that spectrum. With the Texans, Jordan will need to compete for a pass-catching specialist role at tight end, and his main competition figures to be the underwhelming Jordan Akins.

Parham could face competition for the No. 2 tight end role after the Chargers drafted Tre' McKitty in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

The Chargers seem intent on rostering a strictly blocking tight end, a role some thought the 6-foot-8 Parham was well suited for after an overachieving rookie debut. Much like Virgil Green in past seasons, McKitty seems pigeonholed into the aforementioned role by the Chargers brass, which could cut into Parham's already limited workload. With Jared Cook already established as the team's top pass-catching option at TE, Friday's third-round selection might remove any possibility of Parham having any sort of fantasy value, even in deep redraft leagues.

The Steelers selected Freiermuth in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 55th overall.

Though Kyle Pitts is the headliner of this year's tight-end group, Freiermuth projects as a more conventional player at that spot who can be a difference maker in the Steel City. A local product out of Penn State, Freiermuth was extremely productive when healthy. He caught 69 of 110 targets for 875 yards and 15 touchdowns through his first two seasons and was on a strong pace in 2020 (23 catches, 310 yards, one score) through four games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that also prevented him from testing at the pro day. As for his fit, Freiermuth should immediately challenge Eric Ebron for the starting tight end spot in Pittsburgh.

Hurst is part of an Atlanta offense that now includes TE Kyle Pitts, the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reports.

A first-round pick himself, Hurst finally got his big chance in 2020, playing 70 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps while averaging 5.5 targets per game. He finished with a 56/571/6 receiving line and only 6.5 yards per target, while Pitts had 770 yards and 12 TDs in only eight games for Florida last season. The uber-prospect won't necessarily be a nominal starter right away, but he should be Atlanta's top receiving threat at tight end right out of the gate. That leaves Hurst on shaky footing ahead of his fourth pro season, with the Falcons perhaps declining the fifth-year option on his rookie contract -- a decision they'll need to make by Monday afternoon.

The Falcons selected Pitts in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, fourth overall.

Pitts (6-foot-6, 245) is pretty much a one-of-a-kind prospect at tight end, offering both major long-term upside and probably a high floor in the meantime. The Falcons have a long-term need at quarterback and had an opportunity to take one here, but Pitts is so solid as a prospect that this pick is still easily justified. Pitts outplayed pass catchers like 2020 Rams second-round pick Van Jefferson and likely high 2021 pick Kadarius Toney at Florida, yet he doesn't turn 21 until October. With Pitts, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley running routes the Falcons will likely throw more passes with lighter formations than new coach Arthur Smith called in Tennessee. For dynasty league purposes Pitts is in the top three at tight end, and in redraft leagues he might warrant a top-12 spot at the position. His arrival to Atlanta is very good news for Matt Ryan.

Hill said Tuesday that he's training exclusively at quarterback this offseason, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports.

Prior to logging snaps at six offensive positions in 2020, per Pro Football Focus, Hill said he spent previous offseasons by preparing to play in a variety of roles on offense and special teams. With Drew Brees having retired, there's an open window for Hill to secure the starting quarterback gig in New Orleans, and for seemingly the first time in his professional career, he's only going to be taking snaps under center. While the 30-year-old will face competition from fellow incumbent backup Jameis Winston this offseason, it was Hill whom the Saints chose to start when Brees was injured for four games last season. Accordingly, the job may be Hill's to lose, especially after coach Sean Payton previously expressed doubt in March that New Orleans will add another signal-caller to the mix through the 2021 NFL Draft.