Brandon Myers best off as a No. 2 TE?
New York Giants tight end Brandon Myers (83) deflects a pass that resulted in an interception by Washington Redskins safety Reed Doughty (not pictured) during the third quarter of a game at MetLife Stadium. The Giants defeated the Redskins 20-6. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
New York Giants tight end Brandon Myers was supposed to be a solid starter and a nice safety valve option in the passing game for Eli Manning, but he was a disappointing offseason signing overall. Myers caught 79 passes for 806 yards in a breakout season in 2012 while with the Oakland Raiders, and the Giants were intrigued by those numbers and decided to sign him to a one-year deal. Anything but a safety valve option in the passing attack, Myers was a sheer disappointment, and his inability to block as an in-line tight end was quite concerning. He isn’t a bad player by any means, but it looks like there’s a significantly greater chance that the Giants allow him to walk in free agency than re-sign him.
According to NJ.com’s Conor Orr, former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride believes that Myers is better off being used as a No. 2 tight end instead of a starter. While Gilbride was a terrible offensive coordinator for the Giants and might not seem like the most reliable source, his argument has merit to it.
Ideally, you want a tight end who is at least solid as both a pass-catcher and a run blocker, or you want a very athletic tight end who can even play as a slot receiver and be a mismatch creator. In that case, blocking isn’t a big deal. Myers doesn’t fit into either category, since he is merely a solid pass-catcher who struggles a tad as a blocker. He finished with 47 catches for 552 yards and four touchdowns last season, but he did a poor job of getting open and didn’t offer any sort of new dimension to the Giants passing attack. Coming off of a one-year deal, Myers hasn’t done anything to help his value, and he’ll probably only get a small deal in free agency this time around. I think he can be a starter for a team that is weak at tight end, but he might be more ideal as a No. 2 guy in the long run.