The NY Giants have major free agent questions this offseason and the tight end position will be an interesting one to watch, as names like Jimmy Graham, Jermichael Finley, Scott Chandler, Brandon Pettigrew and Dennis Pitta could be options, while the top targets in the draft include Eric Ebron and Jace Amaro.
The Giants did not get the production they needed at tight end from Brandon Myers last season and his contract was voided and now the team could look to free agency or the draft as options for next year. The crop of tight ends is a decent one and yeah, we know, there's no way Jimmy Graham is happening, because the Saints will not let him go, but he is the top tight end among the potential free agents and he is coming off of another monster season.
According to ESPN.com, two of the best candidates for the Giants are Finley and Pettigrew, as both would likely cost less than the top players on the market and Finley is a player the team has already been connected to. The Giants and Finley could be a nice match after Antrel Rolle sold him on coming to the team and despite hurting his neck last season with the Packers, Finley is expecting to play this season. Chandler could be an intriguing option and so could Pettigrew, as Eli Manning could really benefit from having a legitimate tight end option in the offense.
Dennis Pitta is also on the market and he looked good coming back from his injury, while the NFL draft is deep at the position and the top names in North Carolina's Eric Ebron and Texas Tech's Jace Amaro could be targets. The Giants have a top half draft pick after being the middle of the road the season before and they could be in the mix for Amaro and Ebron and the last time they used a top pick on a tight end it was Jeremy Shockey. While that did not end well he put up some good numbers over the years with Manning and one of the young stars could do the same, as they are in the mold of the new tight ends like Rob Gronkowski and Graham with their size and athletic skills.
Bear Pascoe is a free agent and while he has been solid, he is not the type of player that will put up big numbers and so far Adrien Robinson has been a project and not much else. If any tight end the Giants get has Grahm numbers like 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, the team would be thrilled and if they lose Hakeem Nicks, the tight end position could help make up for that lost production. Pettigrew ended up with 41 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns and his numbers were hurt after the emergence of Joseph Fauria and that could lead to him being an affordable option.