Free Agent Pass Catchers to Watch

10. Jacob Hollister

Jacob Hollister began his 2019 campaign with the New England Patriots. However, he was dealt from New England to Seattle at mid-season. He immediately found chemistry with Russel Wilson. Hollister was Seattle’s primary pass-catching tight end ahead of Luke Wilson on the depth chart.

In eleven games, he pulled in 41 passes for a total of 349 yards. Perhaps his best performance came in an overtime thriller with the 49ers, where Hollister caught eight passes for 62 yards and a score. The 26-year-old is not a significant vertical threat, but he showed more promise this season than ever before. Overall, Hollister proved he is worthy of being a starting tight end in the NFL. 

9. Greg Olsen

The Carolina Panthers cut ties with Greg Olsen after nine seasons. Olsen is a very good pass catcher, but father time is creeping up on him. If he continues playing, he’ll enter his age 35 season after collecting 597 receiving yards this year. The former Miami product could have done more, but lackluster quarterback play limited his playmaking chances. Also, Olsen’s injuries have limited him to only 1,079 receiving yards across the last three seasons. The talent is still there, but age and health will raise concerns wherever Olsen may decide to go. 

8. Breshad Perriman

A flash in the pan, or a late bloomer? This is the question when it comes to Breshad Perriman. The former Raven began the season buried on the Buccaneers‘ depth chart. Though, injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin allowed Perriman the chance to play. He certainly made the most of it. Perriman went for over 100 receiving yards in each of Tampa’s final three games. He also tallied five touchdowns in the team’s last four games. His football career was off to a terrible start, but could he be a late bloomer? That remains to be seen, though he showed tremendous ability down the stretch. The 26-year-old may have to sign a short term deal to prove he belongs. 

7. Randall Cobb

Randall Cobb was once a terrific pass catcher from the slot during his Green Bay Tenure. Cobb’s 2018 season was a disappointment, but he rebounded nicely in his first year as a Cowboy. On just 55 catches, Cobb tallied 828 receiving yards, for an average of 15.1 yards per reception. The 5’10 Cobb has never been a scoring machine, and he caught only three scores this season. However, Cobb’s excellent at moving the chains and even showed some big-play ability this year. Cobb will be 30 in August, but he’d be an excellent addition for a team needing wide receiver depth. 

6. Robby Anderson

Robby Anderson has the size (6’3) and speed of a true number #1 wideout. He’s produced respectable numbers in four years as a Jet, but never a 1,000-yard season. Anderson did nothing with Trevor Siemian or Luke Faulk at quarterback but clicked much better with Sam Darnold later in the season. Overall, the Temple product caught 52 passes for 779 yards and five touchdowns. That included a very impressive 92-yard catch-and-run versus Dallas in week 6. Anderson can be a capable deep threat, but he would also benefit from more consistent quarterback play. Several teams will likely be interested in his services.

5. Emmanuel Sanders

Emmanuel Sanders began his year stuck in Denver, but happily joined the 49ers in a mid-season trade. Across ten games in San Francisco, Sanders had mixed results. Though, one could argue that it was primarily due to San Francisco’s commitment to the run game. All in all, the 32-year-old pass-catcher racked up 869 yards through the air and five touchdowns.

Interestingly, he also chipped in with one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown each. Sanders eclipsed the 100-yard mark in three games this season, but his age is no doubt a concern. He is still dangerous when healthy, but he hasn’t reached 1,000 yards since the 2016 season. It will be interesting to see how much a team is willing to spend on Sanders this offseason. 

4. Hunter Henry

The third tight end on our list is Hunter Henry. When it comes to Henry, the question is health, not performance. The Arkansas alum missed four games in 2019, in addition to the entire 2018 season. Though, when Henry did take the field, he totaled a career-best 652 yards with five touchdowns. 

The 6’5, 250 lbs tight end is a mismatch in the secondary with downfield playmaking ability. Henry has also averaged 12.6 yards per catch throughout his career, a good mark for a player his size. Henry won’t turn 26 until December, so his prime may still be ahead of him. If the Chargers move on from him, Henry will be an intriguing pass catcher for a tight end needy team. 

3. AJ Green

AJ Green owns the most impressive career numbers of any player on this list. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed his progress in recent years. Green played only nine games in 2018, before missing all of 2019 with a nagging ankle injury. 

His 2018 season was off to a tremendous start as he totaled 694 yards and six touchdowns in those nine games. Though, we haven’t seen Green on the field since, and his age is becoming a factor. 

The former #4 draft pick will enter his age 32 season in addition to having injury concerns. Green has six career 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, but it’s fair to wonder if those days are over. He could prove to be a major bust on a new team or the steal of the offseason. Only time will tell. 

2. Austin Hooper

Our final tight end listed turned in career bests this season, despite missing three games. The 6’4 254 lbs Austin Hooper reeled in 75 passes on 97 targets for a career-high 787 yards. He was especially dangerous as a big body for Matt Ryan to utilize in the red zone, hauling in six scores on the year. 

The 25-year-old was on his way to a 1,000-yard season before suffering an MCL sprain. Hooper did return for Atlanta’s last four games but didn’t have the same type of impact post-injury. His blocking is suspect, but his receiving abilities certainly make up for that. Hooper is a scary weapon near the goal line and will get paid this offseason accordingly. 

1. Amari Cooper

I wouldn’t expect him to move anywhere, but Amari Cooper is easily the top pass catcher on this list. Cooper’s first full season in Dallas was about as good as one could hope. The Alabama alum caught 79 passes for a whopping 1,189 yards. He also snagged a career-high eight receiving touchdowns, despite playing hurt later in the year. Cooper now has four 1,000 yard seasons, and 357 receptions in his young career. Amari can fly down the field, but he also has the size to go up and make big plays on the football. The Cowboys must pay Dak Prescott this offseason too, but it’s doubtful they let Cooper walk away from that easily. 

Follow me on Twitter for more great content @stopnpop_nba

Discuss this and everything to do with sports at the Overtime Heroics forums! 

Be sure to check out our partners at Repp Sports! They offer the first-ever crowd-sourced, no carb, no sugar, energy drink called RAZE, and much more! Use the link above or add the promo code OTH1 at checkout to get 30% off your order!