Free Agency Check - Tight End ADP Risers and Fallers

Which tight ends had the best and worst landing spots in free agency this offseason for fantasy football? Joey Pollizze looks at which tight ends had their ADP rise and fall in free agency.

The NFL offseason never fails to disappoint. That was the case again during the 2024 offseason, as plenty of star players found new homes. Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, Derrick Henry took his talents to Baltimore, and Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans.

There were a lot of moving parts this offseason, including at the tight end position. Although there weren't many Pro Bowl tight ends available on the open market, plenty of playmakers at the position switched teams.

So, which tight ends saw their ADP rise or fall this offseason based on their landing spot? Let's dive in and find out.

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Tight End ADP Risers

Jonnu Smith: Miami Dolphins

Tight end Jonnu Smith has bounced around the league over the past few years, which has included stops with the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, and Atlanta Falcons. However, his best season came last year as the backup to Kyle Pitts in Atlanta. He totaled a career-high 50 catches for 582 yards and three touchdowns.

After the Falcons released Smith this offseason, the Miami Dolphins quickly pounced on the opportunity to sign him. The two sides eventually agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal, which is great news for the 28-year-old's fantasy value this upcoming season.

The Dolphins were desperately in the market for a tight end heading into the year after losing Mike Gesicki last offseason and rolling with Durham Smythe as the TE1 in 2023. That experiment didn't work out, but there's a good chance the Smith experience does. He showed last year that he could be a starting tight end somewhere in the future, and he landed in the best spot this offseason.

Free-agent tight end Jonnu Smith visited the Miami Dolphins today, per source. The two sides are said to be in contract negotiations.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2024

The Dolphins averaged the third-most points per game in 2023 (27.9) while also averaging 393.7 yards per game. With Smith now a part of Miami's electric offense, he should be a sneaky fantasy option in the later rounds. He could put up solid numbers with the team in 2024.

Mike Gesicki: Cincinnati Bengals

It was a rough year for Gesicki in his only season with the Patriots. He totaled just 29 catches for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Those 29 catches and 244 yards were also the second-fewest totals of his career in a season, only behind his 22 catches and 202 yards in his rookie campaign in 2018. 

However, if Gesicki signed in the right place this offseason, he could be a solid tight-end option in fantasy again. After signing with the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal in March, there's real potential that the 28-year-old could be a late-round target for many fantasy managers in 2024.

There are a couple of things playing in the favor of Gesicki this upcoming season. For starters, being attached to quarterback Joe Burrow is a big boost for his fantasy value. The tight end goes from Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe to Burrow in the span of one year. On top of that, he has put together solid numbers in the past in both 2020 and 2021. In both of those seasons with the Dolphins, he totaled over 50 catches and 700 receiving yards.

Gesicki will start the year as Cincinnati's starting tight end, and that makes him a big winner in fantasy for next year. He should be able to see plenty of targets on an elite offense.

Tight End ADP Fallers

Gerald Everett: Chicago Bears

Tight end Gerald Everett has spent the past couple of seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers' starting tight end. In 2022, he totaled 58 catches for 555 yards and four touchdowns. Then, last year, he had 51 catches for 411 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers made him a backend TE1 or a high-end TE2 for your fantasy teams.

However, that won't be the case in 2024 following his two-year deal with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Everett not only will see a downgrade at quarterback from Justin Herbert to likely rookie Caleb Williams, but he will also be the backup tight end to Cole Kmet in Chicago's offense. That does not bode well for his fantasy value this upcoming season.

Caleb Williams might have the strongest Year 1 pass-catching group of any No. 1 pick ever?

WR DJ Moore
WR Keenan Allen
TE Cole Kmet
TE Gerald Everett
RB D'Andre Swift#Bears also could use No. 9 pick at WR or Brock Bowers.

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) April 6, 2024

Everett has been a consistent weapon in the passing game over the past few years, totaling at least 400 yards in five straight seasons. However, that might not be attainable in 2024 with a rookie quarterback while competing for targets with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Kmet. He is one of the biggest tight end fallers in fantasy drafts for next season.

Irv Smith Jr.: Kansas City Chiefs 

Another player who saw his value drop this offseason is tight end Irv Smith Jr. Smith was in a prime spot to be fantasy-relevant last season when he signed with the Bengals in the offseason. However, the former Alabama product put together the worst numbers of his career. He totaled just 18 catches for 115 yards and one touchdown across 12 games.

It's been a couple of poor years for Smith following a strong start to his career in 2019 and 2020. In those seasons, he caught a combined 66 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns. However, a meniscus injury suffered in 2021 really set him back. He missed the entire 2021 campaign and only totaled 297 combined receiving yards in 2022 and 2023. A fresh start somewhere else, though, could have potentially gotten the tight end back on track.

That, however, won't be with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024. With Travis Kelce still in the picture and Noah Gray as the backup, there just won't be many opportunities for Smith in the passing game.

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