ON Monday, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz received a five-year, $42 million deal to stay with the team. This agreement affects the Indianapolis Colts because both Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener are set to be unrestricted free agents in the offseason. Both tight ends have comparable statistics to Ertz and will probably use this deal as a reference point in their contract negotiations.
In three seasons with the Eagles, Ertz improved every season and accumulated 169 receptions for 2,024 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Meanwhile, both Fleener and Allen have played four seasons for the Colts. In those seasons, Allen had 91 receptions for 1,045 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns while Fleener had 183 receptions for 2,154 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. With Fleener and Allen having similar statistics to Ertz, they will be looking to earn similar long-term deals this offseason.
Between the two Colts tight ends, Allen is the more traditional players. He is 6-foot-3 and has tremendous strength. As a result, he is a better blocker than Fleener. However, Allen’s two issues with the Colts have been durability and consistency. After playing all 16 games his rookie season, he missed 15 games in 2013, three games in 2014 and three games this season. Also, he was virtually nonexistent on offense this season. These two issues will hurt his value during contract negotiations and will probably keep him from getting a deal like Ertz.
At the same time, Fleener has a much better argument. He is 6-foot-6 and has the ability to line up as a receiver. His versatility allows him to take advantage of many mismatches against the defenses. The one issue the Colts have with Fleener is he not much of a blocker. He is a good blocker, but it definitely is not his strength. Fortunately for Fleener, the Colts are a passing team so his skills are much more valuable to them than those of Allen. For this reason, the Colts might be more willing to give Fleener what he wants.
Ultimately, the Colts’ contract negotiations will come down to preference. If the Colts want a traditional tight end, Allen is the best choice, but Fleener is more involved in the team’s passing game. In a perfect world, the Colts would like to keep both tight ends. Unfortunately, this scenario may not be an option, because the Colts have other needs outside of keeping their tight ends. With Ertz’s big contract being the benchmark, it is more likely the Colts will keep only one of their tight ends.
