Breaking down new Jets tight end Daniel Brown

The New York Jets have signed reserve tight end Daniel Brown as a much-needed depth piece. Here is a breakdown of his game and what he brings to the table.

The New York Jets continued to add depth pieces following the signing of former Chicago Bears tight end Daniel Brown on Monday. After a free agency period highlighted by the signings of All-Pro players like Le’Veon Bell and C.J. Mosley, the Jets have cooled down with the major signings instead opting to add reserve/special teams players over the last few days.

The team signed versatile offensive lineman Tom Compton early Monday afternoon before adding another reserve player in the aforementioned Brown later on in the day. Brown is expected to compete for a roster spot in a tight end depth chart that is relatively thin behind budding star Chris Herndon.

Originally entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015, Brown spent the first year and a half of his NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens. A converted wide receiver, Brown played in eight games with the Ravens catching just six passes for 64 yards, primarily being used on special teams.

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He saw a bit of an uptick in production after being claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears midway through the 2016 season. Brown would spend the better part of the next three seasons in Chicago starting five games and hauling in 29 catches for 253 yards.

While with the Bears, Brown developed immensely as a blocker which is encouraging given that he played wide receiver in college. The James Madison product is an imposing figure standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing in at nearly 250 pounds giving him the adequate size to be a reliable blocker.

Brown also has solid hands and above-average speed making him an all-around solid backup tight end. Although he doesn’t necessarily excel in any one area, perhaps Brown’s best value comes with his special teams ability. The 26-year-old played roughly 50% of the Bears special teams snaps in 2017 and 2018 making him an intriguing option for a Jets team that has lost its fair share of special teamers this offseason.

Expect Brown to fill the role that Eric Tomlinson occupied last season with perhaps a bit more receiving ability. He should step in and compete for the primary backup tight end job while making his home as a regular contributor on special teams.

Brown isn’t necessarily a lock to make the roster, but the barren state of the Jets tight end depth chart could be his ticket to a spot on the 53-man roster.

At the very least expect him to provide solid depth in the competition behind Herndon at tight end.