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It has been nearly two months since we started the preseason tight end analysis with a look at the best and worst case scenarios for several of the top tight ends. A lot has changed since then, and while tight ends have largely avoided preseason injuries, there are three whose fortunes have changed significantly since the start of training camp. In our last tight end article of the preseason, we examine those three players and how we should evaluate them in light of the changes around them.
Julius Thomas
Julius Thomas hits fantasy myth bingo all by himself. Jay Cutler made Martellus Bennett into a fantasy star and Zach Miller into a fantasy starter; Julius Thomas is probably better than both of them. Adam Gase was the offensive coordinator when Thomas was a fantasy stud in Denver, and the Dolphins wouldn’t have traded for Gase’s former player if they weren’t going to use him. Blake Bortles held Julius Thomas back in Jacksonville and now that he is liberated, he will be much closer to the touchdown maker we saw in Denver.
I don’t know that any of those things are true, but they could be. No one going as late as Thomas can match his ceiling, and the nature of the tight end position is such that you can easily find a replacement if Thomas busts or is injured. Thomas climbed up my draft board quite a bit when Jay Cutler replaced Ryan Tannehill, but that has as much to do with my lack of faith in Tannehill’s ability as any of the potential myths listed above. I would much rather take a chance on Julius Thomas than settle for guys like Coby Fleener, Jason Witten and Charles Clay who are fine options but offer little upside. I would rather swing and miss on Thomas and then grab one of those guys a couple of weeks into the season if I have to.
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Speaking of the Devil, I was relatively high on Charles Clay a month ago, but I have since dropped him down to TE19 on my draft board, below Fleener and Witten. As I pointed out in that article, Clay was better with Sammy Watkins on the outside to open up the middle of the field. It is certainly possible Clay finds success with Zay Jones and Jordan Matthews getting most of the defensive attention, but that feels like wishful thinking. Clay failed to step up when Watkins was out last season, so there is little reason to believe his ceiling is particularly high in the event Jones or Matthews are injured. Clay is a better real-life tight end than a fantasy tight end, and his floor is low enough that I am avoiding him if I can.
Zach Miller
Miller entered training camp in danger of losing his roster spot, but now he has a chance to be a waiver wire darling yet again. Miller appears to have regained his place atop the tight end depth chart, and barring another injury, he should have little trouble holding off Adam Shaheen while the rookie adjusts to the NFL game after playing for Division II Ashland University.
Miller caught 47 passes for 486 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season, taking advantage of the Bears’ lack of other established receiving options. It looked like that had changed in the offseason, but with Cameron Meredith and Reuben Randle on IR, Miller has a chance to lead the Bears in receiving touchdowns while getting a very healthy target share yet again. Chicago’s offense may be even worse than last season, and Kevin White, Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton will all compete with Miller for targets. That being said, Miller is certainly capable of being a top-10 fantasy tight end. At the very least, he should probably go ahead of the rookies who would have to buck history to be fantasy relevant this season. I have Miller ahead of Fleener, Witten and Clay as well.
Player News
Panthers released TE Jordan Matthews.
Matthews converted to tight end a few years ago and hasn’t made much noise at the position. The change has, however, likely kept him in the league for a few more seasons. He appeared in four games with the Panthers last year but didn’t record any stats on offense. The Panthers also released or waived WR Dax Milne, C Andrew Raym, and TE Colin Granger.
Dolphins released LS Blake Ferguson.
The team also waived CB Ryan Cooper Jr., DT Neil Farrell and OL Chasen Hines. Ferguson has been the team’s long snapper for five seasons and earned a three-year contract extension just before the 2023 season. He should be able to find work snapping footballs farther than the average snap elsewhere in the league.
DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman believes rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa “could make his earliest impact on special teams.”
It’s not much of a surprise, as most rookies cut their teeth with special teams duties. Twentyman mentioned return duties as a possibility, though the former Razorback never returned kicks or punts in college. At 6'4/212 with 4.43 wheels, TeSlaa is an explosive athlete who never translated his physical traits to on-field production at Arkansas. The Lions clearly saw potential for him to do so in the pros and traded two future third-round picks to move up to No. 70 overall for him. It’s going to be a slow burn for TeSlaa in the pros, making him a dynasty-only fantasy option.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team does not “have any feelings on competition” when asked about the quarterback room.
O’Connell was asked about a potential quarterback competition on the Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was unclear on whether J.J. McCarthy would have to compete to start. He said, “we’ve got an obligation as coaches to put our players in position to attack that competition phase.” O’Connell discussed first putting Brett Rypien and the newly acquired Sam Howell in a position to play before any competition would occur. He continued that McCarthy is “owning it” this offseason and is taking snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly. After missing last season with a torn meniscus, McCarthy has been ramping up workouts in the offseason and is the front-runner to start for the Vikings in 2025. As of now, Howell looks to be reinforcement at the backup spot in case it turns out McCarthy is not ready to start.
Texans re-signed DT Foley Fatukasi.
Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports Tyreek Hill’s second wrist surgery was part of the original plan and his timeline remains unchanged.
Hill announced the second surgery on social media and Pelissero quickly added some context to the situation. The speedy receiver suffered the wrist injury just before the start of the season and it lingered throughout the year, though he never missed a game because of it. If the second surgery truly is a non-story, an offseason to recover might be what Hill needs to return to form after a down 2024 season. On the other hand, Hill is 31 years old, played his worst football last year, and his offense prioritized targets for Jonnu Smith and De’Von Achane. As it stands, Hill might have the highest risk-reward split in fantasy drafts.