June 1st is officially here and it hasn’t taken long for teams to start making moves. With several big names now eagerly awaiting calls from teams bringing an injection of funds to the table, all eyes in Philadelphia will be firmly fixed upon Zach Ertz. The TE has been shopped around the league all offseason but there have been no takers up to this point. Here are the three teams to watch when it comes to the Eagles pass-catcher.
Jacksonville Jagaurs
The Jaguars are currently rolling out Tim Tebow at tight end, need I say more?
If there’s one thing a rookie QB needs, it’s a security blanket over the middle and Ertz could provide exactly that for one of the few teams that can actually afford him. The Eagles could well look to poach a cornerback in a slightly higher-stakes trade.
Jacksonville rebuilt their secondary after it was ripped to shreds last year and still brought back Tre Herndon and Sidney Jones. Whether either of those players are now expendable after the drafting of Tyson Campbell remains to be seen, but it could well be something the Eagles at least explore.
Ertz won’t be dropped into a winning situation, but if it’s longevity he wants, there may be no team better-suited to giving him the extension he covets if he shines this season.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are going to be the ideal landing spot for Ertz and Chargers GM Tom Telesco isn’t silly. Hunter Henry is now out of the building and they have next to no depth behind Jared Cook and Donald Parham, who had 10 receptions last year. Sure, Tre McKitty is a fun developmental rookie, but in terms of a player who can elevate Justin Herbert and lift the offense even higher, they’re relying on a red zone nightmare and a wiley vet.
Ertz would provide the best of both worlds and act as the glue holding a questionable group together through 2021, giving the team plenty of time to evaluate each option.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have been linked with Zach Ertz all offseason but salary cap setbacks will no longer be an issue. After reworking the contract of their most expensive player, Stefon Diggs, they now have an extra $7.81M to play with, raising their available funds to around $11.4M. They could comfortably acquire Ertz and sign their rookie class with some leftover capital to spend on a Christmas party.
The TE spot is one of the few weaknesses on Buffalo’s roster and they did nothing to change that this offseason. Dawson Knox led the position with just 24 total catches last year and will be their main man once again in 2021. The addition of Zach Ertz would be huge for a surging quarterback in Josh Allen and arguably send the Bills over the top providing the Stanford product can rekindle the fire that once made him one of the best tight ends in the entire league.
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