What is the best landing spot for Zach Ertz?
Zach Ertz is one of the most underrated tight ends in NFL history and is currently one of the top TEs in the NFL. Ertz has won a Super Bowl, he’s made three Pro Bowls, and he’s unveiled seven seasons of 700+ receiving yards in his career.
The Eagles legend will soon be facing free agency at 31 years old. Ertz could return to the Arizona Cardinals team that really wants to make Kyler Murray happy and push for their own Super Bowl berth soon.
CBS Sports has listed Ertz as one of the potential free-agent steals in the off-season. It’s clear that he’s a special profile and he could land with another team that’s pushing for a Super Bowl victory. So, where will he sign? Well, here are a few logical landing spots for Ertz.
Arizona Cardinals
I really believe the Cardinals, who made the blockbuster trade for Ertz, will retain the talented Cardinals TE. According to Sports Illustrated, Ertz wants to stay in Arizona. I really believe Ertz, DeAndre Hopkins, and Murray will be taking the field and lighting up defenses in 2022.
He averaged 52.2 yards per game with the Cardinals, which is near his 2019 Pro Bowl season (61.1). I believe the Cardinals should be happy with how he performed, especially given his first year in the scheme and the fact that Murray isn’t a stat machine in the passing game (never thrown 4,000+ passing yards in a season).
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals will not take the gas off the pedal and they shouldn’t (fifth in cap space). The Bengals have been linked to Gronk, but I foresee Gronkowski signing with his former enemy in the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals should ink the talented and slightly younger Ertz to join their shiny arsenal.
The Bengals shouldn’t let the youth on their team fool them. They should capitalize off the production and continuity, particularly on offense with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon playing together. The Bengals clearly need to improve pass protection (most sacks allowed in 2021), but they need to get creative by adding more juice to their offense. They could use a more potent RB2 and TE1. They should see if Ertz is interested in pursuing a Super Bowl ring this offseason.
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson is clearly having mixed emotions with his situation on the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson has D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but he hasn’t had quality pass protection, a superb running game, or a third receiving option that can take Wilson to the next level. They have Gerald Everett, but he is a free agent in 2022 and it’s safe to say Ertz is a sure-fire upgrade over Everett (who likes to swap teams in the NFC West).
According to Heavy., the Seahawks are projected to sign Ertz, as well. They may try and add a couple of big pieces to push for a Super Bowl in Russell Wilson’s prime. Ertz would make a ton of sense and be a scary chess piece in their offense featuring Metcalf, also known as Megatron 2.0.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles brought back Nick Foles and it clearly paid off, as he led them to a Super Bowl victory. The Eagles might want to bring back the familiar, talented TE, especially when they need more help in playmakers. Dallas Goedert might have half driven Ertz out of town, but they can have a more robust plan to utilize two talented TEs and make them both satisfied in 2022.
Jalen Reagor is struggling so much that Justin Jefferson feels bad for him. He is in fact a WR, but they could use more playmaking ability in their offense from the slot. Ertz might even take less money to re-sign with Philly if there’s mutual interest.
New York Giants
The New York Giants ought to be seen as the best wildcard team to ink Ertz. They will likely split with the veteran Evan Engram (2022 FA) this offseason. The Giants recently cut veteran TE Kyle Rudolph, too. It’s clear they need a major upgrade at their TE position.
The Giants haven’t completely pulled the plug on their offense and key profiles just yet. They still feature Saquon Barkley, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay in their offensive attack. If Daniel Jones has an elite TE in his current offense, they would really give him a fine opportunity to prove himself and potentially lead them to an NFC East title next season.
Honorable mentions:
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a confusing outlook. Within a few months, they could either have Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, or their QB/WR combo could both be out of town. I would like to see Tae get franchise tagged and then Matt LaFleur to bring in a fancy weapon for their offense. I would expect Rodgers to also stay if they retain Tae and add a profile like Zach Ertz. The Pro Bowl TE could also be in awe of the idea of playing with the 2020 and 2021 NFL MVP. The Packers also have a question mark at TE position, as rumors of cutting Robert Tonyan have surfaced. I expect the Packers to be aggressive in free agency, as Rodgers is really flirting with picking a different team to join.
New Orleans Saints
The bold Sean Payton may not be in the Big Easy, but the ultra-creative Mickey Loomis still resides in New Orleans. The Saints might be cap-strapped, but I don’t think they will go “quietly into that good night”. They are certainly trying to win a Super Bowl with arguably the most well-balanced NFL roster. Loomis might be thrilled about passing up on the big-name free agent wide receivers and reeling in a major TE weapon like Ertz to play with Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Jameis Winston. Ertz would also be a significant upgrade over TE Adam Trautman.
