The Minnesota Vikings are starting to enter a bit of a rebuild, so it came as no surprise when the team decided to release their veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph to free up some cap space. Rudolph has been excellent in the NFL and will look to take his talents elsewhere this offseason.
Rudolph is now the top tight end on the free agent market following his release, which could make some tight end needy teams very excited. He is as good as they get and he could take more of a pay cut to play for an established team.
In 2020, Rudolph had a big down season, but the entire Vikings team as a whole struggled as well. Rudolph, last season, hauled in just 28 receptions for 334 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings.
While Rudolph didn’t have a very good season, he could surely look to turn it around moving forward. Putting Rudolph on a team that would appreciate his services could make a lot of sense for both sides and he could regain his dominant form.
Let’s take a look at three potential landing spots for Kyle Rudolph.
Number One: New England Patriots
Rudolph signing with the New England Patriots just seems to make sense. He just has the Patriots tight end mold about him and he could actually be a great fit with the team.
The Patriots desperately need a tight end threat to add to their lackluster tight end room and Rudolph would be the go to guy from the get go. Rudolph would be able to play right away without having to share many reps and could thrive in an established organization.
New England could also afford to pay Kyle Rudolph quite a bit more than most teams would be willing to due to their dire need at the position and suiting up for the Patriots could make sense for both sides. I fully expect the Patriots to make a strong push for Kyle Rudolph.
Number Two: New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints love the upside they have in their young tight end Adam Trautman, but they could look to add a veteran to partner next to him. One guy the Saints could look to go after is none other than Rudolph.
The Saints have seen Rudolph rip their secondary to shreds several times in recent years and they could certainly be a team in the mix to bring him aboard. While the Saints love what they have in Trautman, they could love a tight end tandem involving Rudolph even more.
New Orleans could free up some money by releasing veteran tight end Josh Hill and could use the same money to land Kyle Rudolph this offseason and have a much more improved offensive identity. If the Saints land Kyle Rudolph, they can be considered Super Bowl contenders regardless of who’s taking snaps under center.
Number Three: Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have a dire need at the tight end position and not a lot of money to work with. The Cowboys’ already re-signed Dak Prescott, but adding Kyle Rudolph would be a wise investment as well.
The Cowboys have struggled at the tight end position since Jason Witten left the team and Rudolph could help them get back on track. Rudolph is more than capable of being the franchise tight end in Dallas and the Cowboys should look to make it happen.
Dallas needs to show some love to the tight end position and adding Rudolph would help do that. If the Cowboys are going to be successful, they need to have weapons all over the field. Rudolph could be that weapon for the tight end position.
