By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatodaay.com
The Buffalo Bills have to add a tight end one way or another. Currently Jason Croom is the only player at the position that has a contract from the team.
Whether Croom will be given a chance to be the No. 1, we’ll see in the near future. On March 13, NFL free agency opens. A recent report indicated that the Bills are “very interested” in Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James.
James, 24, would be the No. 1 tight end for the Bills if the team signed him. If the Bills truly are interested, it appears they’re going to get a chance to grab him from the Steelers.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert suggested that during his press conference at the NFL Combine late last week, at least.
“Jesse has been a nice complementary tight end to us. Any of our players that maybe have an opportunity to look elsewhere, where they might have a better chance to be a starter, we encourage them,” Colbert said. “Go, look, find out, keep us in the loop.”
Based on Colbert’s comments, referring to James as a “complementary” tight end means James is likely gone, unless nobody wants him. Vance McDonald is the Steelers top tight end and has been for James’ entire career thus far. Translation: James wants a starting role, which Buffalo could provide.
If the Bills added James, 24, he’d be a bit like former Bills tight end Charles Clay. Both are viewed as all-around tight ends who can block as well as they can catch. However, most observers of the Bills will hope the current Steelers tight end can flash more as a receiver than Clay has recently. In his four-year career, James has 120 catches for 1,189 yards and nine touchdowns. Only modest numbers because he’s had to share a position with McDonald. In 2018, James had only started seven of Pittsburgh’s games, making 30 catches on 39 targets for 423 yards and two touchdowns.
In terms of blocking, Pro Football Focus graded Clay at 57.4 while James edged him out at 64.0.
Along with the Bills, the Jaguars were also said to have a high level of interest in adding James. With the NFL Combine wrapping up, the Bills, Jaguars, and anyone else interested in James’ services have likely already been in touch with his representatives in Indianapolis during the combine.