Philadelphia Eagles: Tight End Visanthe Shiancoe Would Be a Good Fit

The Philadelphia Eagles worked out tight end Visanthe Shiancoe today at training camp with the prospect of signing him to be the second tight end in their offense.

Shiancoe played for the Minnesota Vikings the last five seasons, topping out in 2009 when he caught 56 passes for 566 yards and 11 touchdowns from Brett Favre. Last year, Shiancoe totaled 36 receptions for 409 yards and three scores in 14 games, and he remains one of the top free agents on the market.

The Eagles have a terrific starting tight end in Brent Celek, a great all-around player who can catch passes and block well. Celek is signed through the 2016 season and could easily emerge as a Pro Bowl player in the NFC.

Behind Celek, though, the Eagles haven’t gotten much production from former fourth-round pick Clay Harbor, whom the team selected in the 2010 NFL draft. Harbor had just 13 receptions for 163 yards and one touchdown last year, numbers that really don’t amount to much in the Eagles’ passing offense. That total ranked just 46th in the NFL among tight ends, with Harbor has catching just 22 passes in his two-year career.

Shiancoe would give the Eagles another option in the passing game, and he would be a great fit for the team. The two-tight end system is completely revolutionizing the entire National Football League, and Harbor has held the Eagles back from having a solid two-tight end system in recent years.