NFL New York Jets

Who Should Stay and Who Should Go For New York Jets: Tight Ends

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By @GregSulik

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The New York Jets made a big move to upgrade their tight end situation last offseason when they drafted Jace Amaro in the second round, and they believe that Amaro can be an impact player for them in the future. However, that didn’t really materialize this season, leaving the Jets with a fluid situation at tight end.

Amaro had a decent rookie season, catching 38 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Fears about his inability to block were realized, something that severely hampered his playing time. Though he also had some issues with drops, Amaro did catch 71.7% of his targets, by far the highest number among Jets players with 40 or more targets. Amaro will obviously be back next season, and look for him to see a greatly expanded role.

Jeff Cumberland managed to hang on to his starting role this season, and according to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York he played 84% of the Jets’ offensive snaps compared to just 34% for Amaro. Cumberland caught 23 passes for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and he did a decent job as a blocker. Cumberland is the only competent blocker the Jets have at tight end, which was the biggest reason he played so much.

Cumberland is under contract for just $1.9 million for each of the next two seasons, and he is a very good fit as a backup tight end. The Jets need Amaro to take over as the starter because has the receiving skills to become a major contributor, but he must improve as a blocker. These two will battle for playing time again next season, but they will certainly be the Jets’ top two tight ends.

The No. 3 tight end for the Jets this year was Zach Sudfeld, who played sparingly. Sudfeld caught just 5 passes for 85 yards, and although he holds promise as a receiver he is far from a lock to be on the team next season. Sudfeld should be back in camp next season, along with practice squad tight end Chris Pantale. However, look for those players to be joined by a quality blocker as the Jets look to round out the skill sets they have available at the tight end position.

All in all, this figures to be one of the most stable positions the Jets have in the offseason. The improvement here must come internally, and the Jets will be expecting big things from Amaro next season. Look for the Jets to bring a veteran blocker to camp, but all in all the tight end position will look pretty much the same in 2015.

Greg Sulik is a New York Jets writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @GregSulik or add him to your network on Google

Previously: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers

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