The tight ends currently on the roster for the New York Giants have been underwhelming during training camp and the first portion of the preseason.
"Some days they kind of stand out and on different days different people seem to be doing better," head coach Tom Coughlin said on Wednesday. "We would like to see more consistency in the whole deal."
Could the Giants be heading toward a situation where they need to look at the trade market or scour the waiver wire once teams begin trimming their rosters? With that in mind, let's look at the potential tight end market.
For this project I turned to bloggers for other SB Nation teams to see which players on their rosters could end up being available. The result is a partial list of veteran players who are proven commodities. I chose not to focus on young, unproven players since the Giants already have three players -- Larry Donnell, Adrien Robinson and Xavier Grimble -- in that category.
Dustin Keller -- The former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins tight end is a free agent and is reportedly still planning to play after missing all of the 2013 season due to a horrific knee injury. Keller tore his ACL, PCL and MCL, as well as disclocating his knee. The Giants could use a pass-catching tight end. From 2008-2011 Keller averaged 53 catches per season for the Jets. He played only eight games in 2012. There might not be any harm in at least bringing Keller in for a tryout to try to judge his health.
Rob Housler -- Before Jake Ballard retired from the Arizona Cardinals, Housler was a good bet to get cut by the Cardinals. Arizona still has John Carlson and second-round pick Troy Niklas. If they choose to cut Housler, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound pass-catching tight end entering his fourth season, the Giants might be at the front of the line when it comes to teams trying to get him. Housler has 96 receptions in three seasons and is considered more of a modern 'move' tight end rather a traditional in-line type player. If the Giants think they have players who can handle the blocking roles Housler could be a nice fit.
Anthony Fasano -- Peter King of SI.com thinks the Kansas City Chiefs might be interested in trading a tight end. If that is the case, the eight-year veteran Fasano might make sense as a target for the Giants.
Tony Moeaki -- Word out of Buffalo is that the seemingly often-injured 27-year-old might not make the final roster with the Buffalo Bills. Moeaki was a third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, catching 47 passes as a rookie. He spent 2011 on IR, then caught 33 passes in 2012. Moeaki missed the 2013 season with a fractured shoulder. He was waived/injured by the Chiefs and hooked on with the Bills. He has apparently missed a significant chunk of time during training camp with the dreaded hamstring injury.
Final Thoughts
This is hardly a comprehensive list. I focused on veteran players who might be able to step right in, figuring the Giants would be more likely to look for a proven commodity than a young player with potential. They have some of those already.