49ers Free Agency Needs: Breaking Down the Tight End Position

Our next positional installment looks at the San Francisco 49ers group of tight ends and whether or not any moves should be made in NFL free agency this offseason.

The San Francisco 49ers boasted the worst passing offense in the NFL last season, and a major part of that was a lack of production from both the team’s wide receivers and tight ends.

In this installment, Niner Noise takes a look at the tight end position and whether or not any upgrades should be made in free agency, which starts on March 9.

Wisely or unwisely, former general manager Trent Baalke inked incumbent tight ends Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek to extensions last season. They’ll both be here for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean this group is anything close to perfect.

San Francisco 49ers /

San Francisco 49ers

McDonald, San Francisco’s top pass catcher at the position, had just 391 receiving yards and four touchdowns in yet another injury-shortened year. While there were some positives from his 2016 campaign, one has to question whether or not he’ll ever emerge as a legitimate pass-catching threat.

Here’s a breakdown of the on-roster tight ends for 2017:

Vance McDonald — 2017 Cap Hit: $4.35 million, signed through 2021
Garrett Celek — 2017 Cap Hit: $2.575 million, signed through 2019
Blake Bell — 2017 Cap Hit: $741,283, signed through 2018

2017 free agents — Jim Dray (UFA), Je’Ron Hamm (ERFA)

Projecting 49ers Roster Moves

It’s clear both McDonald and Celek will make the roster in 2017. The only questions is whether or not they’ll be Nos. 1 and 2 on the depth chart, or Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

Let’s assume, for a second, the 49ers stay put at this position and roll with what they have this season. The only real battle would be for the No. 3 TE spot, and it falls between Je’Ron Hamm and Blake Bell.

Projecting Free-Agent Moves

Former New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett will likely be the most sought-after free agent on the market at this position.

Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett (88) makes a catch as Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) defends during the fourth quarter during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Bennett, who filled in admirably for No. 1 TE Rob Gronkowski for much of last year, finished 2016 with 55 receptions for 701 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. New England is going to let him test the free-agent market, and he’ll likely command a hefty salary — probably in the range of $6 million per year.

Stepping down a tier, the 49ers might be interested in former Green Bay Packers tight end Jared Cook.

Cook and the Packers are reportedly working on a new contract, which would negate things. But it’s hard to ignore the type of impact he had for Green Bay down the stretch in 2016.

Hey, Vernon Davis is a pending free agent too.

No.

Projected 2017 Depth Chart

While targeting Bennett might be a smart move for San Francisco, one has to factor in the Niners have zero quarterbacks slated on their roster for 2017.

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That will deter pass-catching free agents signing on with the 49ers this offseason, for sure. And this could easily cross either Bennett or Cook off the list of suitable targets.

In all likelihood, the tight end position is one which general manager John Lynch puts off for 2017, at least in free agency. While the No. 3 spot is up in the air, expect to see San Francisco roll out a tandem of McDonald and Celek for one more season when Week 1 kicks off.

Next: NFL Free Agency: Breaking Down Each Team's Biggest 2017 Need

Unless some rookie draftee winds up tearing up the field.