Dennis Daley, an offensive lineman, was dismissed by the Arizona Cardinals recently, but a new source suggests that Daley won’t be a free agent for long. The South Carolina native was first chosen in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has starting experience at both guard and tackle. Despite playing in just three games the previous season due to injury, he started 15 games at left tackle for the Tennessee Titans in 2022, which helped Derrick Henry find space to run. The Boston Globe’s Christopher Price reports that “several” organizations are interested in signing him, including the New England Patriots.

To begin with, let me clarify: Dennis Daley is a free agent at this stage of the offseason for a reason. Even with Derrick Henry’s achievements, Daley is not the best blocker. Pro Football Focus reports that Daley gave up 12 sacks in 2022 and had a dismal 46.1 overall grade at the end of the year. Daley shouldn’t be the first player on the team, but beggars aren’t allowed to have preferences. The New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs could give the former Panther, Titan, and Cardinal a go given their present depth.

“Multiple” Teams Show Interest in Dennis Daley, a free agent

The offensive line of the New Orleans Saints is in dire need of assistance. That’s about it. Erik McCoy is a dependable center, and a healthy Taliese Fuaga can hold down the left tackle position. Trevor Penning, the starting right tackle, is a live liability, and the Saints’ guard situation is among the worst in the NFL. Any football club would be concerned about having three mediocre starters, but New Orleans should be particularly concerned about this. The offensive line’s problems could end up costing the team the entire season, as Derek Carr is among the worst quarterbacks in the league while under pressure.

As a free agent, can Dennis Daley improve the offensive line? Most likely not. He can’t make it any worse, though. Dennis Allen, the head coach, needs to do everything in his power to turn the program around by 2024, or he will likely lose his job. The Atlanta Falcons added a ton of talent throughout the summer, and the Tampa Bay Bucs are the defending division winners, so New Orleans will have their work cut out for them if they hope to make the playoffs for the first time since the Drew Brees era.

Take On Mahomes’ Depth

Arguably the strongest interior offensive line in football is that of the Kansas City Chiefs. What they lack, though, are definitive responses at the tackle position. The Chiefs are battling it out for the left tackle spot between second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia and current starter Wanya Morris, since they don’t appear to be interested in re-signing Donovan Smith. Although Jawaan Taylor’s large contract guarantees him a starting position at right tackle, his 2023 campaign was forgettable. Given that Lucas Niang might be traded, this squad might use some additional depth at the tackle position. Dennis Daley might be a cost-effective free agency acquisition despite his flaws.

In an ideal world, Dennis Daley wouldn’t play for the Chiefs. If Suamataia isn’t ready to play as a rookie or if Taylor keeps being a disappointment, the free agent might offer crucial insurance. The tackle position is crucial, as anyone who watched Super Bowl LV will attest, and Kansas City cannot afford to face a similar problem as they attempt to win their third Super Bowl in as many seasons.

The Fantasy Football Tight End Targets That Are Best.

It’s no longer Travis Kelce’s turn to dominate the tight end position in fantasy football. In fantasy football, young tight ends like Sam LaPorta have closed the gap and surpassed Kelce as the best tight end. Tight ends can be divided into three primary groups: late-round sleepers, middle-round upside players, and early-round elite players. Building a good draft at the other positions can be aided by knowing when to choose a tight end in the appropriate group. Let’s examine some tight endings to aim for in each range and see which works best. FantasyPros PPR ADPs served as the basis for all of the ADPs in this post.

Elite Tight Ends in Early Rounds

This season’s first three rounds of the fantasy draft will include two tight ends. Sam LaPorta is ranked #26 overall, and Travis Kelce is ranked #21 overall. While Kelce finished as the TE3, LaPorta was the TE1 last year; yet, Kelce will go first in drafts.

Kelce is getting older and losing speed. In order to save him for the postseason, the Chiefs will carefully control his snap total. It is not worthwhile to draft Kelce this early. He should not be the first tight end selected because he no longer has the same edge.

But LaPorta is just starting his second season, and he still has the best part of his career ahead of him. The Lions, who play most of their games indoors, have a potent offensive line. LaPorta is spared the harsh winter conditions that Kelce must endure.

Selecting LaPorta in the second or third round after selecting two outstanding wide receivers creates a strong pass-catching group for PPR leagues if you choose to go with a zero-RB approach.

Sam LaPorta is going to be automatic in year 2 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nCnXfoYnJR

— PFF Fantasy & Betting (@PFF_Fantasy) August 19, 2024

Mid-Range Upside Selections

ADPs indicates that there is a tight end run in drafts between choices 47 and 54. As the third through sixth tight ends, Trey McBride, Mark Andrews, Dalton Kincaid, and George Kittle are all in this range. This is near the conclusion of the fifth round and the beginning of the sixth round in leagues with ten teams. This is at the conclusion of the fourth round and the beginning of the fifth round in 12-team leagues. Targeting a tight end at this range is excellent. Both young players like McBride and Kincaid and seasoned players like Andrews and Kittle are in excellent situations to succeed this season.

Another batch of four tight ends are being drafted between picks 61 and 82. Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, and Jake Ferguson are among them. Once more, with two tight ends from last year’s top six in Engram and Njoku, plus young talents from Pitts and Ferguson, this is a strong range to draft tight ends.

The optimal range to select a tight end this season is rounds four to seven, where all eight of these players are being selected. Drafters can still select a tight end with top-five potential in the early rounds by piling up on outstanding running backs and wide receivers.

Those that sleep late at night

Another batch of four tight ends are being drafted between picks 61 and 82. Kyle Pitts, Evan Engram, David Njoku, and Jake Ferguson are among them. Once more, with two tight ends from last year’s top six in Engram and Njoku, plus young talents from Pitts and Ferguson, this is a strong range to draft tight ends.

The optimal range to select a tight end this season is rounds four to seven, where all eight of these players are being selected. Drafters can still select a tight end with top-five potential in the early rounds by piling up on outstanding running backs and wide receivers.

Those that sleep late at night

Taysom Hill and Ben Sinnott are the only tight ends with plenty of upside who are not in the top eleven. Hill will once again play all over the field and is eligible to play tight end in some leagues. On the depth chart, Sinnott will open the season behind Zach Ertz. The second part of the season is when he could really shine as a player. T.J. Hockenson is also being selected outside of the top ten, but he must be partnered with another tight end because he will miss the first portion of the campaign.

This season, the lack of depth at the position makes the punt-TE plan a bad notion.