Trey Burton rumors: Top 3 landing spots
Trey Burton made a name for himself in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl victory. Now, he may be one of the hottest tight end free agents on the market.
Trey Burton was one of the heroes of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl defeat of the New England Patriots, having thrown the “Philly Special” touchdown pass to Nick Foles in the game’s second quarter. But being a postseason hero isn’t always a ticket to a shiny new contract with the team he helped earn a shiny new Lombardi Trophy.
According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles and Burton are headed to a parting of ways. However, this could be a good thing for the soon-to-be free agent; Rapoport also notes that “16 teams check[ed] in on his status,” while Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald says Burton could “command more than $6 million annually.” Here are three teams that could pull out their checkbooks for the tight end this month.
Best fits
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
The only proven tight end on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ present roster is Marcedes Lewis, who turns 34 in May and is more of a blocker than a dynamic, chains-moving receiver. Though he scored five touchdowns in 2017, the same as Burton, he caught only 24 passes for 318 yards. And with the Jaguars set to lose two key wideouts—Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee—in free agency, Burton can be a valuable pass-catching weapon to add to the roster.
Though Burton has started just five games, those five have accounted for the majority of his 629 of his career yards. Burton meets the needs of Jacksonville’s vertical passing game and removes the necessity of starting a rookie tight end to open the 2018 season.
2. San Francisco 49ers
According to the Sacramento Bee‘s Matt Barrows, the San Francisco 49ers are among the group of 16 teams that Rapoport says have some degree of interest in Burton. While, as Barrows points out, the Niners have “two strong in-line tight ends in George Kittle and Garrett Celek… [head coach] Kyle Shanahan could be after a so-called ‘move,’ tight end,” or a pass-catcher in the Burton mold.
Celek and Kittle combined for 64 catches for 851 yards and six scores in 2017, but lack the dynamism that Burton would add to the offense. The Niners also have the second-most cap space at their disposal this spring, which means Burton’s contract would not cause any financial strain.
Next: 30 richest players in the NFL
3. Chicago Bears
If there’s one thing the Chicago Bears need this offseason, its an improved receiving corps for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears ranked dead last in both passing attempts and yards in 2017 and 31st in passing touchdowns. And while receiver is high on their needs list, so is tight end.
After Zach Miller suffered a severe, season-ending knee injury in late October, the Bears’ depth chart behind him could not keep up; Adam Shaheen and Daniel Brown combined for just 25 receptions for 256 yards and three scores on the year. Miller is now headed for free agency, with his football future still hanging in the balance and the Bears remain in need of a bona fide starter. This makes Burton a top target on Chicago’s free-agent shortlist this year.