The Seahawks are “deep” in the tight end market, and will now host free agent Ed Dickson on a visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Seattle also has a meeting scheduled with fellow tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, so the club is clearly trying to use the open market to replace Jimmy Graham, who signed with the Packers on Tuesday. Other free agent tight ends of note include Tyler Eifert, Virgil Green, Antonio Gates, and the recently-released Eric Ebron.
Dickson, 30, didn’t play a large receiving role during his first three years with the Panthers, but an injury to starting tight end Greg Olsen allowed Dickson to play on 80% of Carolina’s offensive plays last season. While he wasn’t a world-beater, Dickson did manage 437 yards and a touchdown, solid numbers considering he’d managed just 370 receiving yards from 2014-16. He’s also on the Falcons’ radar as they seek a complementary tight end.
At present, Seattle’s depth chart is comprised of Nick Vannett and 2017 undrafted free agent Tyrone Swoopes. Veteran Luke Willson is an unrestricted free agent.