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As we enter the 2021 NFL offseason, it is becoming increasingly apparent that there are some really awesome free agents on the market this year.
The wide receiver pool is getting a lot of hype, but someone who should be on the radar of as many teams as anybody is tight end Hunter Henry.
He is an unrestricted free agent who has spent his formative years with the Los Angeles Chargers. He is likely to move on as the Chargers are working with fairly limited cap space and they have a few starters who are also unrestricted free agents this year.
Let’s take a look at some of his potential landing spots if he heads elsewhere and how he’d fit in.
Patriots
A team who spent quite some time without having to worry about the tight end position, the New England Patriots haven’t quite responded yet to the absence of Rob Gronkowski – who is also a free agent this year, but all-but already spoken for after a Super Bowl win with Tampa Bay.
For as long as the head coach is Bill Belichick, they will be trying to win football games. I think that having a good tight end would help with that.
The Pats quarterback situation is up in the air but whoever it ends up being, they need better weapons. Hunter Henry is a very good one.
New England has the fourth most cap space available of any team this offseason, and their need at the TE position is as bad as anyone, making them a likely spot, and one where he could have a big role in the offense.
Bills
While the Patriots are legendary and any player would surely appreciate playing for Coach Belichick, in 2021 we have a different team on top of the AFC East. I imagine they’ll be there for a while.
The Buffalo Bills have ascended over the past couple of years, and with quarterback Josh Allen continuing to be fantastic and even getting better last year, they are one of the teams to beat in the NFL.
The addition of Stefon Diggs not only helped to elevate number 17 at QB, it put him in the conversation as one of the best wide receivers on the planet, with him finishing with 127 receptions, 1,535 yards and the receiving title.
There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the Bills are an incredibly attractive landing spot right now and they don’t really have a standout tight end.
If I was Hunter Henry, the Bills would be my favourite landing spot in the league. There’s just one problem, unfortunately.
They don’t have the cap space to add him without making cuts or restructuring in some way. If they can make it happen, I think this offense becomes near enough unstoppable, as they try and assert themselves as the team who has to beat the Chiefs if they want to reach their goal of a Super Bowl.
Packers
Another team aiming to play into February, the Green Bay Packers had a very good offensive year as you would expect every season for as long as Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback. However, every offseason for that same period there is an effort to get him more weapons and reach the full potential of a team who are terrifying, but have only made it to the Super Bowl once in the 15 years since he was drafted.
In 2020, Robert Tonyan stepped up and completely exploded onto the scene, scoring 11 touchdowns. He is a free agent, too, though, so unless the Packers resign him – as always – they will be an option very attractive to a passing-game weapon who is looking to join a new offense. Henry has been able to produce with Philip Rivers and now Justin Herbert, so there is no doubt that he would continue to up in Wisconsin.
Cowboys
Yet another team where we aren’t sure on their exact situation as the offseason gets underway, the Dallas Cowboys are a team who have shown ridiculous potential, but with injuries and misfortune, they had an incredibly disappointing year.
The Cowboys have aspirations of being a force in the playoffs, but as of late that hasn’t been the case and I think that it is essential that they try to retain Dak Prescott if they can, and if they pair him up with the likes of Hunter Henry as well as his phenomenal receiver group, the offense at least will be playoff-ready. Their defense is another story, however.
Cardinals
As I described with the Buffalo Bills, there is an offense with plenty of passing production, but with room to improve at the tight end position, over in Arizona.
Kyler Murray hasn’t hit the type of stride that Josh Allen has – yet – but he is a good QB and the offense is the focus of the team.
Their current starting TE Dan Arnold, while capable of making plays, is nowhere near the talent that Hunter Henry has shown. The Cardinals have a fairly modest amount of cap space, but it’s enough to add the ex-Charger if they wanted to do so. There are defensive needs that we should not ignore, but this would be one of the landing spots I think people might not mention for Henry, but it’s a definite possibility.
