According to Matt Holder of Bleacher Report, one of those guys should be Juwan Johnson, a New Orleans Saints tight end and prospective free agency.
Johnson is in his final season of a two-year, $12 million contract deal signed in March 2023.
“Washington might be in the market for a veteran tight end this spring since Zach Ertz and John Bates are on expiring deals,” Holder told reporters on December 16. “While Johnson has only had one season with more than 400 receiving yards — 508 in 2022 — he does everything you’d expect from a big-bodied pass-catcher: move the chains and get the ball in the end zone. The 28-year-old’s (he turns 29 in September) 130 career receptions entering into this weekend include 18 touchdowns and 81 first downs. That’d be an excellent security blanket for Jayden Daniels.”
Despite offseason foot surgery in June, Johnson has been in all 14 games for the Saints in 2024, totaling 36 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns on 47 targets.
NFL teams can start signing unrestricted free agents on March 12, 2025.
From undrafted to veteran NFL. Johnson, a 6-foot-4 and 231-pound tight end, with 111 receptions for 1,560 yards and 6 touchdowns in 4 college seasons at Penn State and Oregon. However, he was not taken in the 2020 NFL draft.
“(Johnson) has a big, strong frame, is decent when tasked with catching through contact, and is a willing, effective blocker in space,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein stated in 2020. “Putting it all together, a move to matchup tight end makes sense. Pass-catchers will not make a team if quarterbacks do not trust them, thus his hands must improve if he wants to stay.
Johnson joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent and earned six starts in his first two seasons before emerging as a full-time starter in 2022, with 42 receptions for 508 yards and seven touchdowns.
If the market for tight ends isn’t too high, the Commanders might be able to negotiate a 1-year, $5 million contract with Johnson.
Ertz has been a pleasant surprise for commanders.
One major reason not to anticipate the Commander to spend heavily on tight ends in the immediate future is their performance in 2024, when they signed veteran Ertz to a one-year, $3 million contract.
Ertz, 34, is a three-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl champion who appeared to have seen his best days behind him before reviving his career with the Commanders and receiving Daniels’ passes.
Ertz is second on the Commanders in receiving behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin, with 54 grabs for 526 yards and four touchdowns.
One option for the Commanders would be to try to sign Ertz to another one-year contract—with a modest raise—and then use a large portion of that salary cap money to go out and acquire an outstanding wide receiver in free agency, such as Cincinnati Bengals’ Tee Higgins.
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