NFL Player News

Johnson was not targeted in the Steelers' 30-12 wild-card win against the Dolphins on Sunday.

Going without a touch is not unusual for Johnson. He played in all 16 games this season, recording just seven catches on 11 targets for 80 yards. An unrestricted free agent, his role is unlikely to change regardless of whether he returns to Pittsburgh or move on to another team next season.

James caught one pass for six yards in Pittsburgh's 30-12 wild-card win against Miami on Sunday.

After jumping out to a 20-6 lead, the Steelers attempted just six passes after halftime, leading to a quiet afternoon for anyone not named Antonio Brown or Le'Veon Bell. Even if Ladarius Green (concussion) misses next week's game, temper your expectations for James against a Kansas City defense that held opposing tight ends to an average of 43 yards per game and just four touchdowns all season.

Graham hauled in three of four targets for 37 yards in Saturday's 26-6 wild-card victory over the Lions.

The play-making tight end was relatively quiet on the night compared to fellow pass-catchers Doug Baldwin and Paul Richardson, who both turned in memorable performances. However, Graham's final reception of the night stood out, as his 10-yard catch on third down with 9:33 remaining in the game brought the ball to the Lions' four-yard line, setting up a Thomas Rawls touchdown run a play later. Despite the modest output Saturday, Graham could well play a key role in next Saturday's divisional round playoff against a Falcons squad that surrendered 11.5 yards per reception to the tight end position this season.

Escobar caught four passes on seven targets for 30 yards and a touchdown in 16 games in 2016.

The Cowboys had depth problems at tight end in 2016 due to injuries to James Hanna (knee) and Geoff Swaim (chest), but rather than give Escobar more responsibility, Dallas simply moved away from using two-TE sets and he actually saw fewer snaps than he had either of the previous two years. That's as clear an indication as any that the organization doesn't see Escobar as part of their future, so expect to see him in a different uniform in 2017.

Gray played on just one of 59 offensive snaps during the Dolphins' season finale against the Patriots.

Despite possessing status as Miami's No. 2 tight end behind Dion Sims, Gray was almost exclusively contained to special teams work on Sunday. This is nothing new, as the converted college quarterback has only been involved in the passing attack in games this season when both Sims and Jordan Cameron (concussion) sat out (forcing Gray to start). With Cameron an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, there's a chance Gray will maintain his current slotting on the depth chart in 2017, but his role in the offense is unlikely to change considering the Dolphins' indifference towards featuring tight ends.

McGrath caught two passes for 25 yards with the Chargers in 2016.

McGrath was mainly used as a blocking tight end when he played, while Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry garnered most of the attention from quarterback Philip Rivers. A restricted free agent heading into the offseason, it seems likely the Chargers will opt to bring back their tight end, but with both Gates and Henry expected to return, McGrath isn't expected to put together strong enough numbers to garner fantasy attention.

Higbee did not garner a target and played just 12 offensive snaps in Week 17 against Arizona.

After receiving 15 targets over the previous six games, Sunday was the first time since Week 10 that the rookie wasn't looked at in the passing game. It was further disappointing because Higbee had scored his first career touchdown in Week 16. The Rams invested a fourth-round pick in Higbee, and the Western Kentucky alum has plenty of potential, but he'll also have to steal more work from Lance Kendricks to gain any fantasy value in 2017. Additionally, until there are signs of major improvements from the entire Los Angeles offense, it will likely remain a dire situation for the passing attack.

Graham caught four of seven targets for 64 yards in Sunday's win over the 49ers.

Graham did the bulk of his damage late in the first half on a 42-yard deep ball in which he returned to his basketball roots and boxed out the San Francisco defenders. Graham has run anywhere from lukewarm to cold down the stretch, having failed to reach 70 yards receiving in a game since Week 9. He gets a favorable matchup in the playoff opener against a Detroit team that has surrendered nine touchdowns to tight ends this season, the fifth most in the league.

Paulsen ended the season with three receptions for 15 yards while being targeted 15 times.

When the Bears lost Zach Miller to a foot injury in Week 11, Paulsen seemed to be in line to step up as the primary receiving option, but that role was taken over by Dan Brown. Actually, Paulsen didn't see a single target over the last five games of the season, and he'll enter the off-season as a free agent. He's only piled up 816 receiving yards since 2010, and he'll likely sign with a team as a backup tight end, and he'll face long odds to be a strong fantasy option.

Allen had three receptions for 34 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, on three targets in Sunday's win over Jacksonville.

Allen had a disapointing season as he had just 35 receptions for 406 yards despite entering the season as the No. 1 tight end after the departure of Coby Fleener. Allen did have six touchdowns, but three came in one game and he had seven games with two or fewer receptions. With the emergence of Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope, Allen may face increased competition for targets next season.