Denver Broncos: 9 tight ends the team could acquire for depth

8. Jesse James (Lions)

After six NFL seasons, the book on Jesse James is pretty well out at this point.

A fifth-round pick out of Penn State in the 2015 NFL Draft, James is still only going to be 27 this coming season.

On a per-16 game basis, James’ career season averages to this point are roughly 27 receptions for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are not bad, but when it comes to ‘dart throws’ it’s hard to see the major upside here.

When TJ Hockenson missed some time with injuries in his rookie 2019 season, the free agent acquisition James didn’t exactly pick up the slack statistically. He caught 16 passes for 142 yards and no touchdowns in his first year with the Lions.

Essentially, signing James would be like taking another shot at Nick Vannett, whom the Denver Broncos released earlier this offseason.

Perhaps the greatest value James brings to the table is availability. He has not missed a game since his rookie 2015 season when he played just eight games.

Although it may be uninspiring, James is one option available to the Denver Broncos in free agency under the age of 30 in late May.