Who Should I Start? Pharaoh Brown or Robert Tonyan Jr.

Wednesday, March 13, 12:24 AM

Free-agent tight end Pharaoh Brown is signing a one-year, $3.2 million base-value deal with the Seattle Seahawks this week, according to a source. Brown can make a maximum of $3.9 million on incentives. He will give quarterback Geno Smith another veteran option in the passing game in 2024 after catching 15 passes for a career-high 208 yards and one touchdown in 17 games (11 starts) with the New England Patriots last season. The 29-year-old has just 64 receptions (88 targets) for 686 yards and three touchdowns in his six years in the NFL, so nobody is expecting Brown to become a very big part of Seattle's passing attack in 2024, especially while he plays second fiddle to primary pass-catching tight end Noah Fant. Brown had a career-high 23 receptions in 2021 with the Houston Texans.

Thursday, May 16, 2:03 PM

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan signed an undisclosed deal with the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. Tonyan will stay in the NFC North after playing in all 17 regular-season games with the Chicago Bears in 2203, catching just 11 of 17 targets for 107 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The 30-year-old's addition in Minnesota will give the Vikings a little more depth at the position with T.J. Hockenson (knee) trying to return this fall from a serious knee injury. If Hockenson isn't ready to go for Week 1, Tonyan, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt would be competing for playing time. Even if Hockenson is delayed to start the 2024 campaign, Tonyan probably won't be anything more than a touchdown-dependent TE2 option in fantasy for a short period of time. He has a total of 148 catches (193 targets) for 1,549 yards and 17 touchdowns (11 in 2020) in his six years in the NFL.