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Zach Ertz Trade Rumors: Bills No Longer Interested in Move for Eagles TE
March 19, 2021
The Buffalo Bills are no longer attempting to acquire tight end Zach Ertz from the Philadelphia Eagles after signing free agent Jacob Hollister to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques.
Jacques reported the Eagles were asking for a third-round pick to part ways with the three-time Pro Bowler, which proved too steep for the Bills. Instead, Buffalo added the 27-year-old Wyoming product, who joins his third NFL team since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2017.
Hollister appeared in all 16 games (five starts) for the Seattle Seahawks last season en route to 25 catches for 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He'll look to split time with Dawson Knox in Buffalo after the second-year pro caught 24 passes for 288 yards and three scores in 2020.
Coming off a 13-3 record, the Bills have already proved themselves as the class of the AFC East and didn't need to overpay to add Ertz—especially with the tight end carrying a $12.5 million cap hit next season before hitting free agency in 2022.
Considering Ertz posted 335 receiving yards on 36 catches with one touchdown last year and spent five games on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain, sending a third-round pick to Philadelphia for his services was more of a risk than Ertz was worth to Buffalo.
Where that leaves the Eagles remains unclear. However, Dallas Goedert has been a steady presence the last two seasons with a combined 104 catches for 1,131 yards and eight scores in 26 games, and it's looking like Ertz may pass the torch to the three-year veteran.
Ertz's cap hit will be hard to justify given his recent stats, but it could make sense for a team with little depth at the position. So far, no club that fits the description has been able to work out a deal.