The New York Jets don't have a shortage of bodies at tight end. The question is whether they have any difference makers at the position.
On Monday, they brought back a familiar face, signing Kellen Davis to a one-year contract, a league source confirmed.
Davis played 39 percent of the offensive snaps last season, taking over the starting job from the now-departed Jeff Cumberland late in the season. Davis finished with only three receptions for 18 yards, playing in the most wide receiver-oriented passing attack in the NFL. As a team, the Jets' tight ends produced only eight catches.
Coach Todd Bowles recently downplayed the need to address the position, claiming the tight ends graded out well for what they were asked to do. That didn't preclude them from meeting last Friday with free agent Jermaine Gresham, a former first-round pick who wound up returning to the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal. The Jets reportedly made him a better offer, a sign they're willing to spend at the position if they find the right fit.
Davis, 30, made $950,000 last season on a one-year contract; his new deal probably is slightly above that.
Right now, the Jets' tight end depth chart looks like this: Davis, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld, Adrien Robinson, Brandon Bostick and Wes Saxton. They combined for a total of only three catches last season. The lack of a proven receiving threat is hurting the efficiency over the middle passing attack.
Is there any hope at the position? Taking the optimistic view, Amaro, a former second-round pick, should be 100 percent after missing 2015 due to shoulder surgery. Ditto, Sudfeld, who is coming back from a major knee injury. The sleeper is Saxton, a former undrafted free agent who displays a raw ability to make plays in the passing game.
