The Green Bay Packers already have a star tight end in Tucker Kraft. Still, the depth behind him feels incomplete when it comes to the traditional in-line role. Luke Musgrave is more of a field-stretching weapon, while Josh Whyle fits better as a movable H-back type. Because of that, free-agent tight end Will Dissly could make sense as a veteran option to help fill that in-line role.
The Los Angeles Chargers released Dissly in March with an injury designation, just two years after giving him a three-year contract in free agency. Signing him also wouldn’t impact Green Bay’s compensatory pick formula, and the Packers appeared to enter the draft hoping to add another tight end capable of handling blocking duties near the line of scrimmage. Ultimately, though, they never truly addressed that role.
“There was one thing coming out of this draft, it would have been nice to add a Y-tight end kind of body,” Brian Gutekunst said after the draft. “We weren’t really able to accomplish that. There aren’t a ton of those guys coming out of college, not a lot of places use them. So we certainly have guys in that room that can do some of that, but that’ll be something we’ll probably continue to look at.”
Dissly lined up in-line on roughly 65% of his offensive snaps last season and continued to show why he has built a reputation as one of the more reliable blocking tight ends in the league. He also quietly put together a productive year as a receiver, finishing with 50 catches for 481 yards and two touchdowns while posting a 73.3% catch rate.
Earlier this offseason, Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber highlighted Dissly as a player who could be a strong fit for Green Bay. The idea became even more understandable after Los Angeles signed Charlie Kolar near the start of free agency.
“We’ve mentioned Will Dissly a few times this offseason,” Huber wrote. “The Packers’ best blocking tight end last season was John FitzPatrick, who suffered a torn Achilles at Chicago last season and remains unsigned in free agency.”
“Dissly, who will turn 30 in July, isn’t FitzPatrick,” he added, “but he’s perhaps the next best thing in free agency.”
Spotrac projects Dissly to land a two-year deal worth around $11.1 million, which feels manageable for a veteran tight end with plenty of NFL experience. Green Bay also has some uncertainty at the position beyond Tucker Kraft, who is returning from an ACL injury, while Luke Musgrave is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Because of that, adding another experienced presence to the room, especially one who can help in the run game and blocking department, could make a lot of sense for the Packers. Green Bay also has enough cap space to make a move like that happen, and it’s not as if the tight end room could not benefit from more competition and veteran depth.
