The NY Giants and Evan Engram could both benefit from a change of scenery this offseason.
Engram, there is little question, is among the most athletically gifted and explosive tight ends in the NFL, but he was miscast in Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett’s scheme in 2020. He has struggled mightily with drops and finding consistency in recent years.
Last season, Engram made his first Pro Bowl, despite arguably the most disappointing performance of his career.
Charged with a whopping eight drops, Engram caught just 63 passes for 654 yards and one touchdown, as NY Giants quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 59 when targeting him.
Frequently, rather than sending Engram deep down the seam or trying to create mismatches downfield, Garrett deployed Engram on shallow crossing routes and on plays in the flat, as Engram struggled to be productive.
As the NY Giants aim to trim salary ahead of the new league year beginning, trading Engram would be a worthwhile move for GM Dave Gettleman to consider.
Engram is set to count $6.01 million against the cap in 2021, but a pre-June 1 trade — or release — would free up all $6.01 million in cap space, because his deal does not guarantee until the new league-year begins.
Should the NY Giants aim to trade Evan Engram, these three teams would be ideal landing spots:
3) Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals chose Drew Sample in the second-round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he has yet to truly breakout, despite catching passes from No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow for 10 games last season.
Sample has caught 45 career passes for 379 yards and one touchdown in 2020. But, tight end is a position that the Bengals will likely seek to upgrade this offseason, to continue adding potentially explosive talent around Burrow at the offensive skill positions.
Engram has the athleticism and explosiveness to produce big plays, particularly over the middle of the field, which can be a young quarterback’s best friend, he just hasn’t consistently been able to reach that potential in a Giants uniform. If the NY Giants do move on from Engram this offseason, the Bengals are well positioned, with $42.19 million in cap space, and Zac Taylor’s vertical scheme might be an ideal fit for Engram’s skill-set.
2) Arizona Cardinals
If the Cardinals’ signing of defensive lineman J.J. Watt proves anything, it is that Arizona is all in on pushing for a Super Bowl in the immediate future, and doing whatever is necessary to keep pace in the rapid NFC West arms race.
Pairing Kyler Murray with All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk was a solid foundation for a dynamic offense, and Engram could potentially elevate Murray’s game and the Cardinals’ offense to new heights.
Dan Arnold caught 31 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns last season, and Murray had a 128.9 passer rating when targeting him, but getting Arnold and Engram on the field together in two-tight end sets with Kirk and Hopkins might be one of the most formidable set of pass-catchers in the NFL.
Arizona, even after signing Watt, have over $12.58 million in cap space, plenty of room to absorb Engram’s fifth-year option and potentially even sign him long-term.
1) Jacksonville Jaguars
Urban Meyer is going to be under immense pressure to win immediately with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and that begins with surrounding presumptive No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence with as much talent as possible, as quickly as possible.
Evan Engram would be a dynamic addition to the Jaguars’ offense.
Tyler Eifert, 30, isn’t a long-term answer for the Jaguars, especially after catching just 36 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Jaguars wide receivers D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault showed promise last season, and Jacksonville is expected to go shopping at the top of the receiver market in free agency, and if they do so along with trading for Engram, Lawrence would be dropped into the kind of offense that facilitates immediate success.
Jacksonville has more cap space than anyone in the NFL, armed with $85.24 million in spending flexibility, so if Engram is a target, the Jaguars have the cap space and draft capital to pull off a trade.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.