Now that the New York Giants have re-signed free agent tight end Will Tye, we ponder his extremely cloudy future with the organization.
Will Tye will be back with the New York Giants in 2017. Big Blue re-signed the exclusive rights free agent to a one-year, $615,000 contract.
As an undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook, the Giants turned to Tye in 2015 as their starter after Larry Donnell was sidelined for the season with a neck injury. Tye delivered in a big way for the team, logging 42 catches for 464 yards and three scores.
However, despite expectations that he would make a huge leap in his sophomore season after such a successful rookie campaign, Tye regressed in 2016. He barely topped his 2015 catch total with 48 receptions and finished with just 395 yards and one touchdown.
Tye failed to wrestle the starting job away from an also struggling Donnell until Week 4 of last season. That doesn’t project well for Tye’s starting prospects entering 2017. In addition to making a minimal salary, the Giants also brought back fellow tight end Matt LaCosse. The University of Illinois product spent all of last season on injured reserve, but is an extremely versatile player who showed flashes of potential in training camp.
Also competing with Tye for time next season will be Will Johnson and Jerell Adams, two guys already on the Giants’ roster. Like LaCosse, Johnson spent all of 2016 on IR but was an excellent fullback with the Pittsburgh Steelers for four seasons and has the ability to line up at the tight end spot. Adams was a rookie a year ago and finished his first NFL season with 16 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, indicating he may be ready for a larger role in 2017.
Add all that to the fact New York is reportedly very interested in this year’s tight end Draft class and it becomes worth wondering if Tye could end up as a training camp cut.
