NFL Media sees TE Hunter Henry as free-agency fit for Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars will revamp their tight end room this offseason after not getting much production from it in 2020. They already started making changes and released Tyler Eifert. The team will now have to bring someone to take his place and a national writer believes Hunter Henry could be the perfect match.
Marc Sessler of NFL Media recently wrote about potential free-agent fits for every AFC team and believes this Jacksonville team has the resources to “lure Henry away for Los Angeles Chargers”, where he has spent his five-year career in the NFL. Sessler points out the Jaguars have a league-high $82 million in cap space and could go through a quick turnaround if Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whom they’re projected to draft with the first overall pick, shines in his rookie year.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will have options at tight end beyond Henry.
Henry will be one of the top tight ends in the open market and Pro Football Focus projects that he will get a four-year $48 million contract with $23.5 million in total guaranteed. The Jaguars could easily offer him that kind of contract and still have enough cap left to make a few more moves in free agency. However, just because they can afford to sign him doesn’t mean they should.
The Jaguars will have options in the open market and need to decide whether it will be a good idea to hand the Arkansas product a top-market deal even though he’s never hauled in more than 60 receptions in a season. If they can convince him to accept a more modest deal, they should consider signing him. Otherwise, they should try other alternatives.
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Veteran tight end Jared Cook may still have a couple of good years left in him, and there’s also Jonnu Smith, who may be cheaper than Henry and can have the same kind of impact. Moreover, Jacksonville can target tight end prospect Pat Freiermuth late in the first round or early in the second of this year’s draft. The Jags shouldn’t scratch Henry’s name off their offseason list just yet but there may be better ways to upgrade their tight end unit.