5 free-agent tight ends the Vikings should consider for 2019
By Nik Edlund
Nick Boyle
2018 Stats:
- 23 receptions
- 213 yards
- 0 touchdowns
Boyle is the most obscure name on this list but he is an interesting option. The Baltimore Ravens love their tight ends and they use a bunch of them. Their depth chart a season ago consisted of Boyle, Maxx Williams and rookies Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews.
There just aren’t enough targets to go around for some of these guys to put up big numbers and make a name for themselves.
Boyle has proven to have soft hands during his four-year NFL career. He’s caught 75 passes for 613 yards.
The surprising stat is Boyle has never scored a touchdown during his time in the league. Again, playing for a team like the Ravens that utilizes a bunch of different tight ends, targets can be hard to come by and will put a damper on the overall production.
A plus for Boyle is he is just 25-years-old and has a 6-foot-4, 270 pound frame. He is a very good blocker and he has shown surprising athleticism, even hurdling would-be defenders to pick up extra yardage.
Boyle wouldn’t be a true replacement for Rudolph in Minnesota if he were to leave this year, as his size is similar to that of David Morgan’s and he won’t be a mismatch against linebackers and safeties. Boyle does look to be a more natural pass catcher than Morgan though and he is definitely a guy who could break out if given more opportunities.