Who Should I Start? Durham Smythe or Jeremy Ruckert

Thursday, March 6, 2:33 PM

The Chicago Bears signed former Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe to a one-year deal on Thursday, according to NFL.com. The former fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame has played his entire seven-year career with Miami but was released this offseason. Overall, the 28-year-old has hauled in 132 receptions for 1,228 yards and three touchdowns in 112 career games. Smythe is best utilized as a blocker, and with Chicago trading for former Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Jonah Jackson and former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney, it's evident they want to improve quickly in run and pass blocking. Smythe could help Chicago's offense in 2025 under new head coach Ben Johnson, but he's unlikely to be on the fantasy football radar.

Wednesday, December 17, 9:45 AM

NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday morning that the New York Jets have agreed to terms with young tight end Jeremy Ruckert, locking him in for the future. He gets a 2-year, $10M extension with upside to $11M. Ruckert, the fourth-year player out of Ohio State, has underwhelmed in the receiving game since joining the Jets. This year, he has hit career highs in receptions (20) and receiving yards (163), but was drafted in the third round and is an asset to the team primarily because of his willingness and effectiveness to block in the run game. The Jets now have Ruckert and a rookie out of LSU, Mason Taylor, as their top tight end options for years to come. From a fantasy football standpoint, Ruckert is well off the radar and shouldn't be rostered in any formats.