One of my favorite things about Twitter during NFL season is the #FreePlayerX movement. There are always numerous situations in which a talented player is being buried on the depth chart, and we in the fantasy football community just cannot accept a coach’s stubborn unwillingness to play our guy.
For the longest time it was #Freemost recently with the Cleveland Browns.
Athleticism To Burn
There’s no denying that a physical marvel. It’s extremely rare for a 6’5â€, 240-pound athlete to run a 4.55 40-yard dash and display his type of speed and burst scores. His mockdraftable.com spider chart, shown below, is what NFL scouting departments dream about.
His upside was enough for the Arizona Cardinals to invest a third-round draft pick on the Florida Atlantic alum. The Cardinals then proceeded to acquire both the “age apex" for tight ends, but he is by no means an ancient relic.
On paper, Cleveland looks like an excellent spot for Housler thanks to lack of talent and depth on the current Browns’ roster at the pass-catching positions.
But the quarterback position, ultimately responsible for Housler’s opportunities, is unsettled at best.
Of all the other teams that have recently hosted the free agent tight end (Atlanta, Baltimore, and Cincinnati), all offer similar positional opportunity, as well as improved quarterback situations.
My hope is that Housler goes to a team that understands his physical ability, and in turn, use him in a fashion that highlights his natural athleticism in a “move-TE†role, similar to Jimmy Graham and the aforementioned Cameron.
His past inefficiency is certainly worrisome, but I believe there’s still hope for the #FreeRobHousler movement to find vindication eventually.