Delanie Walker will be 34 in a couple of a weeks, while Jonnu Smith is a promising player in his second year. But the Titans don’t seem to be intending to make a switch at tight end anytime soon. Instead, they gave Walker a two-year contract extension today.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport says the new contract includes $12.6 million in guaranteed money. Doesn’t sound like the team believes Smith will be moving into the starting lineup in the foreseeable future. He’s a promising player (looks a lot like a young Walker) but he’ll apparently have to bide his time as a spot-duty player, mixed in for formations with multiple tight ends.
Prior to this deal, Smith arguably was a top-30 tight end in dynasty formats – a prospect who might be really good in 2019 or 2020. Now he looks more like waiver-wire fodder that maybe you pick up before the final roster freeze in December.
Walker has had a nice career, considering he came into the league as an oversized wide receiver out of tiny Central Missouri. He spent the first part of is career behind Vernon Davis in San Francisco, but he’s flourished in Tennessee.
Walker is getting up there in years, but tight end is a position where older players have been able to play pretty play. In the last 10 years, 44 tight ends who are at least 30 have been able to post top-20 numbers (standard scoring). And 27 have been able to post top-10 numbers, including Walker four times.
The Titans have a new coaching staff, and this contract is also a confirmation that the new group intends to tap into Walker’s talents.
BEST SEASONS BY 30-SOMETHING TIGHT ENDS (last 10 years) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Age | No | Yds | TD | Fan | Rnk |
2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 30 | 100 | 1106 | 10 | 170.6 | 2 |
2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 32 | 96 | 1058 | 10 | 165.8 | 1 |
2015 | Gary Barnidge, Clev. | 30 | 79 | 1043 | 9 | 158.3 | 3 |
2014 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 34 | 69 | 821 | 12 | 154.1 | 2 |
2015 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 30 | 77 | 1104 | 7 | 152.4 | 4 |
2015 | Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 31 | 94 | 1088 | 6 | 146.8 | 5 |
2012 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 36 | 93 | 930 | 8 | 141.0 | 3 |
2010 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 30 | 50 | 782 | 10 | 138.2 | 2 |
2013 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 37 | 83 | 859 | 8 | 135.9 | 4 |
2013 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 31 | 73 | 851 | 8 | 133.1 | 6 |
2012 | Heath Miller, Pitt. | 30 | 71 | 816 | 8 | 131.6 | 4 |
2011 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 35 | 80 | 875 | 7 | 129.5 | 4 |
2016 | Jimmy Graham, Sea. | 30 | 65 | 923 | 6 | 128.3 | 2 |
2016 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 31 | 80 | 1073 | 3 | 127.3 | 3 |
2009 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 33 | 83 | 867 | 6 | 122.7 | 5 |
2016 | Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 32 | 65 | 800 | 7 | 122.0 | 5 |
2012 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 30 | 110 | 1039 | 3 | 121.9 | 5 |
2011 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 31 | 64 | 778 | 7 | 119.8 | 7 |
2015 | Benjamin Watson, N.O. | 35 | 74 | 825 | 6 | 118.5 | 8 |
2017 | Jimmy Graham, Sea. | 31 | 57 | 520 | 10 | 114.0 | 4 |
2014 | Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 30 | 63 | 890 | 4 | 113.0 | 9 |
2013 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 33 | 77 | 872 | 4 | 111.2 | 9 |
2012 | Owen Daniels, Hou. | 30 | 62 | 716 | 6 | 107.6 | 8 |
2017 | Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 33 | 74 | 807 | 4 | 104.5 | 6 |
2010 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 34 | 70 | 656 | 6 | 101.6 | 8 |
2014 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 32 | 64 | 703 | 5 | 100.3 | 10 |
2016 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 36 | 53 | 548 | 7 | 96.8 | 10 |
2014 | Heath Miller, Pitt. | 32 | 66 | 761 | 3 | 96.1 | 12 |
2012 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 32 | 49 | 538 | 7 | 95.8 | 12 |
2010 | Benjamin Watson, Clev. | 30 | 68 | 763 | 3 | 94.3 | 12 |
2015 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 35 | 56 | 630 | 5 | 93.0 | 11 |
2010 | Todd Heap, Balt. | 30 | 40 | 599 | 5 | 89.9 | 14 |
2015 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 33 | 77 | 713 | 3 | 89.3 | 12 |
2017 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 35 | 63 | 560 | 5 | 86.0 | 10 |
2016 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 34 | 69 | 673 | 3 | 85.3 | 14 |
2016 | Dennis Pitta, Balt. | 31 | 86 | 729 | 2 | 84.9 | 15 |
2017 | Vernon Davis, Wash. | 33 | 43 | 648 | 3 | 82.8 | 11 |
2017 | Jared Cook, Oak. | 30 | 54 | 688 | 2 | 80.8 | 15 |
2014 | Owen Daniels, Balt. | 32 | 48 | 527 | 4 | 76.7 | 18 |
2017 | Benjamin Watson, Balt. | 37 | 61 | 522 | 4 | 76.2 | 17 |
2016 | Gary Barnidge, Clev. | 31 | 55 | 612 | 2 | 75.2 | 20 |
2015 | Zach Miller, Chi. | 31 | 34 | 439 | 5 | 73.9 | 16 |
2015 | Jacob Tamme, Atl. | 30 | 59 | 657 | 1 | 71.7 | 18 |
2017 | Marcedes Lewis, Jac. | 33 | 24 | 318 | 5 | 63.8 | 20 |
—Ian Allan