Who Should I Start? Zach Ertz or Eric Saubert

Monday, July 8, 4:28 PM

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz was once one of the most productive players at the position. While his numbers have been on the decline over the last few years, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports that he looked good in offseason activities this summer. "Ertz, 33, showed more speed than expected in practices," Standig wrote. "Injuries are more concerning than the three-time Pro Bowler's remaining talent." The 2013 second-round pick could be heavily relied on by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels early in his NFL career, especially while rookie tight end Ben Sinnott makes the transition to the next level. Ertz is unlikely to possess TE1 upside at this stage of his career, but he might produce mid-range TE2 numbers, making him worth rostering in deep PPR setups. The former Stanford Cardinal enters 2024 in 12th place on the all-time receiving list by a tight end with 7,434 yards.

Monday, April 8, 6:15 PM

The San Francisco 49ers signed free-agent tight end Eric Saubert to an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday. Saubert was initially drafted in the fifth round (174th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 out of Drake. The 29-year-old spent the first two years of his NFL career in Atlanta before stops with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. He was with the Cowboys and Texans in 2023 and caught all three of his targets for 12 yards in 10 games (one start). Saubert has 36 career receptions on 55 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns in 84 games (16 starts) in his seven NFL seasons. In San Francisco this year, Saubert will operate as tight end depth behind starter George Kittle alongside Brayden Willis, Cameron Latu and Jake Tonges.