New England Patriots

Martellus Bennett: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:37 p.m. ET

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Tight end Martellus Bennett is a Super Bowl champion that is about to hit free agency. Here are five good fits for him to sign with this offseason.

In the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bears, tight end Martellus Bennett was traded to the New England Patriots for a sixth-round pick. Bennett was brought in to be the Patriots’ heavily used No. 2 tight end alongside perennial Pro Bowler Rob Gronkowski.

While New England got almost nothing out of Gronkowski this past season, Bennett had one of his better years in the NFL with the Patriots. Bennett had 73 catches for 701 yards and a career-high seven touchdown receptions. Let’s not forget that Bennett won his first Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Patriots.

Though he was a big part of the New England this season, Bennett could have been more explosive as the No. 1 tight end in the playoffs. He will hit free agency this spring. Here are the five best fits for the veteran NFL tight end.

Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC, South

After starring for the Denver Broncos, tight end Julius Thomas has massively disappointed in his two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Thomas was hurt most of 2015 while quarterback Blake Bortles flourished. Bortles floundered last year and Thomas was lost in the lackluster Jaguars passing game.

Jacksonville will have to make a tough decision on the status of Thomas’ contract. Do they release him and how much salary with the Jaguars have to eat? Expect Jacksonville to find a reliable security blanket to help bring Bortles back to good this offseason should the Jaguars part ways with Thomas.

Bennett would make a great deal of sense as Thomas’ replacement at tight end in North Florida. He’s already won a championship and been to a Pro Bowl as a member of the 2014 Bears. Bennett could get paid to catch passes from Bortles in Nathaniel Hackett’s Jaguars offense.

Jacksonville will have a projected $64,982,963 for general manager David Caldwell to work with. New head coach Doug Marrone is an offensive mind, specializing in offensive line play and protection schemes. It seems only natural that he would want a tight end to be a crucial part of his offense in Jacksonville.

Caldwell might be reticent to break the bank on a tight end after failing with Thomas. However does seem to have a need a tight end. The Jaguars could pay a premium to land Bennett this offseason.

Feb 1, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett during a press conference at the JW Marriott Galleria in preparation for Super Bowl LI. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots

AFC, East

Let’s be real. Bennett is probably a one-year guy with the Patriots. He sufficed a glaring need in Josh McDaniels’ offense as a strong No. 2 tight end. Bennett elevated his stock heading into free agency and won a Super Bowl in the process.

However, Bennett just doesn’t feel like a player built to stick with the Patriots for the long-term. The Patriots will exercise their franchise tag this offseason, but almost certainly not on Bennett. New England’s No. 1 free agency move is to bring back linebacker Dont’a Hightower, either through a multi-year extension or slapping him with the pricey $14.6 million franchise tag.

Bennett would only garner a $9.8 million franchise tag as a tight end for the Patriots. There is no way that he can convince an arbitrator he classifies as a wide receiver worth a $15.7 million tag. Bennett is not a Jimmy Graham at tight end. He was specifically traded for to be the No. 2 tight end for the Patriots and probably nothing more.

That being said, New England has a ton of cap space heading into next season. Head coach Bill Belichick will have $62,946,093 to work with this spring. Re-signing Hightower is imperative after trading away other linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns.

Unless Hightower shockingly walks or Gronkowski’s health this offseason is a major concern, it is highly unlikely that Bennett will get a new contract with New England. The Patriots can afford him, but he does not feel like an ideal culture fit in Foxborough.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett (88) before their game against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Rams

NFC, West

It does not matter that they already have a solid tight end in Lance Kendricks, the Los Angeles Rams need to get second-year starting quarterback Jared Goff some receiving help. The first year back in Los Angeles after a two-decade stint in St. Louis was a complete disaster for the Rams.

Goff looked painfully overwhelmed at quarterback. Running back Todd Gurley couldn’t pound the rock. The offensive line was a mess. Long-time head coach Jeff Fisher didn’t make it through the season. Owner Stan Kroenke decided to replace veteran head coach Fisher with the youngest head coach in NFL history in 30-year-old Sean McVay.

McVay was the former offensive coordinator with the Washington Redskins. He did great work in helping bring along quarterback Kirk Cousins into being a franchise quarterback. McVay’s offenses in Washington had tremendous balance.

Bennett would provide a swagger and a championship work ethic that could spark something good with the lowly Rams. He doesn’t have to be a transformative tight end in Los Angeles to help bring Goff along. Bennett just needs to be a reliable target that can grab 50 to 75 passes to bring along with archaic aerial attack of the Rams.

Los Angeles will have $38,985,625 to use this offseason. Since much of their NFL Draft picks belong to the Tennessee Titans in the trade to move up to No. 1 to take Goff out of Cal, general manager Les Snead can splurge a little more in free agency to sign a high-priced veteran like Bennett.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett (88) wears custom cleats in honor of the “My cause, My cleats” campaign during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants

NFC, East

The New York Giants had a solid NFL season. They went 11-5 and made the NFC Playoffs for the first time since the 2011 NFL season. New York thrived as a defense-first football team under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. The problem is that head coach Ben McAdoo specializes on the other side of the ball.

McAdoo had a successful first year as the Giants head coach, but his offense was one of the most predictable in all of football. New York ran three wide receiver sets with a single back almost exclusively. It was easy to defend the stale New York offense as long as Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. didn’t go off in a particular game.

Larry Donnell has had his moments of strength with the Giants, but New York needs to get better at tight end fast. Adding Bennett in free agency gives the Giants another explosive weapon at a position besides wide receiver.

Bennett played for the Giants for one season in 2012, so he is familiar with quarterback Eli Manning and how the organization conducts itself. While improving the running game is most crucial for the Giants offense, a tight end upgrade will only amplify the prowess of the New York aerial assault.

New York is not in a great situation with the salary cap. The Giants will only have $25,520,039 to use this spring. New York went all-in on upgrading the defense in free agency last year. Could the Giants be doing something similar on the offensive side of the ball this season?

Sep 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett (88) runs the ball against the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins

AFC, East

If New England spurns Bennett in free agency, wouldn’t it make some deal of sense for Bennett to sign with the Patriots’ most formidable division rival? Bennett to the Miami Dolphins would be an excellent move for both the veteran tight and the Miami organization.

Miami already has an explosive offense with players like Jarvis Landry, Jay Ajayi, and DeVante Parker. The Dolphins have a solid franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, one of the best backup quarterbacks in football in Matt Moore, and a bright, young head coach in Adam Gase.

The Dolphins will have to get better defensively under recently promoted defensive coordinator Matt Burke, but Miami should be a serious contender to get one of the two AFC Wild Card spots again next year. Adding a wide receiver the caliber of Bennett only makes the Dolphins better and subsequently, makes the Patriots worse in the process.

Miami will have a projected $29,379,383 to work with this offseason. Outside of linebacker and secondary, the Dolphins don’t have a lot of holes. One could argue that an upgrade at tight end from Bennett could force the Dolphins in the conversation of having a top-10 offense next season.

While Miami could put together a halfway decent offer for Bennett, the Dolphins do offer something no other team can: two annual opportunities to beat New England should the Patriots decide Bennett isn’t worth a long-term investment in Foxborough.