Who Should I Start? Stone Smartt or Cade Stover

Thursday, March 13, 4:21 PM

The New York Jets signed former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Stone Smartt to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, a source tells NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smartt was a restricted free agent this offseason but was not tendered by the Bolts, making him available to all teams. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent came on strong late last year for L.A. and finished with career-highs in catches (16) and receiving yards (208) on 19 targets in 15 regular-season games (two starts), although he didn't find the end zone at all. Smartt could have an opportunity to build on his 2024 season in his new home in New York in 2025, as Tyler Conklin and Kenny Yeboah are currently unrestricted free agents. The only other TE on the Jets' current roster is Jeremy Ruckert. The Jets could still add to the position in free agency and the draft, but Smartt will be one to watch heading into training camp this summer.

Monday, September 8, 2:53 PM

Houston Texans second-year tight end Cade Stover (foot) broke his foot in Sunday's game against the Rams and will be out indefinitely. On a day where the Texans' passing attack found limited success, Stover led the team with four catches, which he turned into 22 yards. After a quiet rookie season, it's unlikely Stover was rostered in many leagues, and that will unfortunately remain the case after one of the best games of his young career. With Christian Kirk (hamstring) still sidelined, the Texans are in desperate need of secondary options in the passing game to take some of the defensive attention away from Nico Collins. The best bet will be second-round rookie receiver Jayden Higgins, who will look to top his two-catch debut; however, behind a struggling offensive line, the Texans' offense as a whole could continue to look sluggish, making Collins the only reliable weekly starter.