The Vikings are looking to move on from Kyle Rudolph, with contract a factor. He could be traded or released in the coming weeks. What's interesting is the fact that the tight end position didn't exactly thrive last year in the first season of the Kirk Cousins era anyway.
Rudolph caught only 4 TDs last year, his lowest total for a full season since he was a rookie back in 2011. (He had fewer in 2013-2014, but he missed half of each of those seasons.) As recently as 2017, Rudolph caught 8 TDs, nearly a third of the 25 the Vikings threw. Only Rob Gronkowski caught a higher percentage of his team's touchdowns.
| TIGHT END TDS, % OF TEAM, 2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | I.TD | T.TD | %TD |
| Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 8 | 23 | 35% |
| Kyle Rudolph, Minn. | 8 | 25 | 32% |
| Jack Doyle, Ind. | 4 | 13 | 31% |
| Travis Kelce, K.C. | 8 | 26 | 31% |
| Evan Engram, NYG | 6 | 20 | 30% |
| Jimmy Graham, Sea. | 10 | 34 | 29% |
| Tyler Kroft, Cin. | 7 | 25 | 28% |
| David Njoku, Clev. | 4 | 15 | 27% |
| Garrett Celek, S.F. | 4 | 15 | 27% |
| Marcedes Lewis, Jac. | 5 | 21 | 24% |
| Cameron Brate, T.B. | 6 | 26 | 23% |
| O.J. Howard, T.B. | 6 | 26 | 23% |
| Adam Shaheen, Chi. | 3 | 13 | 23% |
| Jason Witten, Dall. | 5 | 22 | 23% |
| Delanie Walker, Tenn. | 3 | 14 | 21% |
| Zach Ertz, Phil. | 8 | 38 | 21% |
| Benjamin Watson, Balt. | 4 | 20 | 20% |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins, NYJ | 3 | 19 | 16% |
| Zach Miller, Chi. | 2 | 13 | 15% |
| Austin Hooper, Atl. | 3 | 21 | 14% |
| Hunter Henry, LAC | 4 | 28 | 14% |
| Jonnu Smith, Tenn. | 2 | 14 | 14% |
| Ricky Seals-Jones, Ariz. | 3 | 21 | 14% |
| Eric Ebron, Det. | 4 | 29 | 14% |
| George Kittle, S.F. | 2 | 15 | 13% |
| Trey Burton, Phil. | 5 | 38 | 13% |
| Charles Clay, Buff. | 2 | 16 | 13% |
| Julius Thomas, Mia. | 3 | 24 | 13% |
| Nick O'Leary, Buff. | 2 | 16 | 13% |
| Luke Willson, Sea. | 4 | 34 | 12% |
| Vernon Davis, Wash. | 3 | 27 | 11% |
| Antonio Gates, LAC | 3 | 28 | 11% |
| A.J. Derby, Den. | 2 | 19 | 11% |
| Jeff Heuerman, Den. | 2 | 19 | 11% |
| Jesse James, Pitt. | 3 | 29 | 10% |
| Darren Fells, Det. | 3 | 29 | 10% |
| Rhett Ellison, NYG | 2 | 20 | 10% |
| Jermaine Gresham, Ariz. | 2 | 21 | 10% |
Last year, Cousins' first in Minnesota, the team threw 30 TDs, but Rudolph caught just 4 of them. That's 13 percent; 18 tight ends caught a higher percentage of their team's total.
| TIGHT END TDS, % OF TEAM, 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | I.TD | T.TD | %TD |
| Eric Ebron, Ind. | 13 | 39 | 33% |
| Jared Cook, Oak. | 6 | 19 | 32% |
| Zach Ertz, Phil. | 8 | 29 | 28% |
| Chris Herndon, NYJ | 4 | 18 | 22% |
| Trey Burton, Chi. | 6 | 28 | 21% |
| Travis Kelce, K.C. | 10 | 50 | 20% |
| George Kittle, S.F. | 5 | 26 | 19% |
| Jonnu Smith, Ten. | 3 | 16 | 19% |
| Cameron Brate, T.B. | 6 | 36 | 17% |
| Mark Andrews, Balt. | 3 | 18 | 17% |
| Lee Smith, Oak. | 3 | 19 | 16% |
| Jordan Thomas, Hou. | 4 | 26 | 15% |
| Greg Olsen, Car. | 4 | 28 | 14% |
| O.J. Howard, T.B. | 5 | 36 | 14% |
| David Njoku, Clev. | 4 | 29 | 14% |
| Dallas Goedert, Phil. | 4 | 29 | 14% |
| Blake Jarwin, Dall. | 3 | 22 | 14% |
| Michael Roberts, Det. | 3 | 22 | 14% |
| Evan Engram, NYG | 3 | 23 | 13% |
| Jordan Reed, Was. | 2 | 16 | 13% |
| Vernon Davis, Was. | 2 | 16 | 13% |
| Luke Stocker, Ten. | 2 | 16 | 13% |
| Kyle Rudolph, Min. | 4 | 30 | 13% |
| Vance McDonald, Pitt. | 4 | 35 | 11% |
| Austin Hooper, Atl. | 4 | 36 | 11% |
| C.J. Uzomah, Cin. | 3 | 27 | 11% |
| Jeff Heuerman, Den. | 2 | 19 | 11% |
| Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 3 | 29 | 10% |
| Darren Fells, Clev. | 3 | 29 | 10% |
With Minnesota having drafted Irv Smith out of Alabama in the second round, they're probably going to be looking to get him involved. If that happened, Rudolph's production would likely go down anyway. Better for him to land elsewhere at this point.
--Andy Richardson