NY Giants sign Kyle Rudolph: What does it mean for Evan Engram?

The NY Giants and veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph agreed to a two-year contract Thursday

The NY Giants made a somewhat surprising signing Thursday, agreeing to terms with former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Rudolph’s contract is a two-year deal worth up to $16 million if the veteran reaches various incentives.

That’s the kind of money starting tight ends command.

Given that Evan Engram is coming off the most disappointing season of his career, despite making his first Pro Bowl appearance, it is fair to wonder if the organization is shopping Engram on the trade market this offseason.

Regardless of Engram’s future, the No. 2 tight end is a position the NY Giants desperately needed to upgrade, and at one point this week even had cursory conversations with Hunter Henry, sources say.

Rudolph is a reliable pass-catcher, at age 30 caught 28 passes for 334 yards and one touchdown in 12 games last season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Rudolph didn’t drop a single pass last season, and Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins produced a 116 passer rating when targeting him. Dating back to 2017, Rudolph has dropped just two passes, and went the past two seasons without a drop.

Given Engram’s eight drops last season, and the fact that the NY Giants frequently tried to get him involved in the offense by handing the ball off to him, rather than targeting him in the passing game, Rudolph’s steady hands could also be an insurance policy should Engram’s struggles hauling in targets continue.

Because Engram is set to play under his fifth-year option in 2021, the NY Giants can trade him at any point without taking on any dead-money charge.

At minimum, Rudolph’s signing, and the NY Giants’ accompanying financial commitment, seems to suggest that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett could be primed to run more two-tight end sets in 2021 after lining up in 12 personnel on 27 percent of snaps, and completing just 77 of 115 passing attempts in that formation, according to sharpfootballstats.com.

Through the first 10 seasons of his career, Engram has caught 453 of his 665 targets, for 4,488 yards and 48 touchdowns, averaging 9.9 yards per reception.

Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.