Brandon Pettigrew has interest from New York Giants
Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the end zone during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew should benefit from a weak crop of tight ends hitting the free agent market, and the former first-round pick should receive a solid market this offseason. Not only could the New York Jets potentially show interest in him, but the New York Daily News’s Ralph Vacchiano reports that the Giants organization has “some level of interest” in the 29-year-old Oklahoma State product.
Pettigrew showed much-improved hands last season, and he’s an average enough blocker out there. He hasn’t fulfilled on his potential, but he’s become a more consistent player than he was earlier in his career and is a decent third option in the passing attack. As long as he can run clean routes, show solid hands, get a good connection with Eli Manning, block at a decent level, and be a legitimate safety valve in the Giants offense, then there’s a fit for Pettigrew with the team. However, he would have to be a cheap signing, and I wonder if the Giants are leery of signing players like him after the Brandon Myers deal last offseason didn’t work out so well.
I view Pettigrew has the superior player to Myers, who racked up a whole bunch of garbage time stats in 2012 with the Oakland Raiders. Pettigrew isn’t a great option, but he’s a quality starter and deserves to receive at least some interest from the Giants organization.