{"id":80190,"date":"2020-01-30T21:16:44","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T02:16:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=80190"},"modified":"2020-01-30T21:20:44","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T02:20:44","slug":"greg-olsen-free-agent-team-fits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/01\/30\/greg-olsen-free-agent-team-fits\/","title":{"rendered":"Greg Olsen Free Agent Team Fits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/O\/OlseGr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Greg Olsen<\/a><\/strong>, one of the best tight ends of his era, is about to hit the open market. The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AdamSchefter\/status\/1223016688830046221?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tight end announced<\/a> that he won\u2019t be back with Carolina in 2020 and ESPN\u2019s <strong>Adam Schefter<\/strong> added that Olsen plans to join a contender. Olsen certainly isn\u2019t the player he once was, but he still has enough in the tank to bring value to the right organization.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"und\" dir=\"ltr\">-8\ufe0f\u20e38\ufe0f\u20e3 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GJlsw0p3gb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/GJlsw0p3gb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Greg Olsen (@gregolsen88) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/gregolsen88\/status\/1223014969966501896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">January 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>2020 Free Agency: Greg Olsen Team Fits<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>New England Patriots<\/h3>\n<p>Assuming <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> comes back to New England, the Patriots should remain championship contenders. New England had arguably the worst group of tight ends in the league last year. With <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GronRo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong> retired, Brady spent the season throwing to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/L\/LaCoMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Matt LaCosse<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/I\/IzzoRy00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Izzo<\/a><\/strong>, and a 39-year old <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WatsBe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ben Watson<\/a><\/strong>. Olsen wouldn\u2019t make the tight end room any younger, but he\u2019d easily be the most talented guy on the roster.<\/p>\n<p>Adding Olsen doesn\u2019t mean that the Patriots wouldn\u2019t look to add another tight end. Even if Olsen stays healthy for a full season, he\u2019s not a long-term fix for the position. Tight ends typically need one or two years to fully transition to the NFL, so Olsen can serve as a veteran mentor for somebody like <strong>Cole Kmet<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Green Bay Packers<\/h3>\n<p>The Green Bay Packers have not been able to find a reliable weapon not named <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AdamDa01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Davante Adams<\/a> <\/strong>for quite some time. Over the past few seasons, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RodgAa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Aaron Rodgers<\/a><\/strong> hasn\u2019t had a dependable secondary target in the passing game. Rodgers is still a good quarterback, but he\u2019s not the elite player he once was. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GrahJi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jimmy Graham<\/a><\/strong> wasn\u2019t the answer, but Olsen might be. Based on recent tape, Olsen appears to have more left in his tank than Graham and could be a solid underneath option in the passing game. At the very least, his veteran intellect should help him stay on the same page as Rodgers, which has been something of an issue for Green Bay\u2019s younger receivers.<\/p>\n<h3>Seattle Seahawks<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/D\/DissWi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Will Dissly<\/a><\/strong> is a good tight end, but he just can\u2019t stay on the field. The former fourth-round pick suffered an Achilles injury early in 2019 after returning from a patellar tendon injury in 2018. These are both serious injuries with long-term side effects, and the human body can only take so many of these types of hits. Dissly should be back for the start of 2020, but who knows how he\u2019ll look and how long he can stay on the field.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HollJa03.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jacob Hollister<\/a><\/strong> did an admirable job filling in for Dissly, but he\u2019s nothing more than a role player. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/W\/WilsRu00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong> can make just about anyone a productive part of the offense, but Olsen offers more receiving upside and is a considerably better blocker. That alone makes him a better fit for <strong>Pete Carroll<\/strong>\u2019s preferred run-heavy style of play.<\/p>\n<h3>Chicago Bears<\/h3>\n<p>This is admittedly stretching the definition of \u201ccontender\u201d, but the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/bears\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chicago Bears<\/a> have most of the pieces to put together a championship-caliber roster. This team should have one of the best defenses in the league and a star receiver in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/RobiAl02.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Allen Robinson<\/a><\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BurtTr01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trey Burton<\/a><\/strong> didn\u2019t live up to expectations in Chicago and Olsen should be a clear upgrade. If they solidify the tight end position, then Chicago is just a quarterback away from legitimate championship potential.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the quarterback is a pretty large part of the equation. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/TrubMi00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitchell Trubisky<\/a><\/strong> simply is not the answer at quarterback, but the Bears reportedly want to stick with him for another season. If Chicago makes a move and signs someone like Tom Brady in free agency, then the Bears might entice Greg Olsen to come to Chicago.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"0iEPt7uSQwhkPLEQFEMWZg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1196639427\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'0iEPt7uSQwhkPLEQFEMWZg',sig:'ezgsGWo9fx6BtfVsSvFnebnJLyGwgOxM1lu2NdFuGOM=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1196639427',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Longtime NFL tight end Greg Olsen is leaving the Carolina Panthers in free agency and reportedly hopes to join a contender.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":80194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,23,25,32],"tags":[275,42,61,44,982,3906,239,38,40,1608,179,331,3924],"class_list":["post-80190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots","category-bears","category-packers","category-seahawks","tag-aaron-rodgers","tag-chicago-bears","tag-football","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-greg-olsen","tag-jacob-hollister","tag-jimmy-graham","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-tom-brady","tag-will-dissly"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}