The Eagles continued bargain hunting in free agency Thursday by adding 26-year-old tight end Harrison Bryant, who has 98 receptions in five NFL seasons.
Bryant, originally a 4th-round pick of the Browns in 2020, spent his first four seasons in Cleveland and was with the Raiders last year.
He's played in 78 games, starting 33. He caught 76 passes for 710 yards and seven touchdowns in his first three seasons but dropped to 13-for-81 in 2023 and 9-for-86 in 2024.
Although his receiving numbers have been modest, he is a plus blocker. In 2022, he ranked fifth in pass blocking out of 57 tight ends who played at least 400 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus and in 2023 he ranked second out of 55 who played 400 snaps. He played a career-low 213 snaps last year.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
Bryant’s role with the Eagles is yet to be determined because veteran Dallas Goedert’s status remains unknown, and it also seems likely the Eagles will select a tight end at some point in the draft.
As of now, Grant Calcaterra is TE2 behind Goedert, with E.J. Jenkins and Bryant in the mix. Cameron Latu and Nick Muse are also on the roster. Calcaterra is a receiving specialist and not a great blocker.
This signing falls into line with the Eagles’ other additions over the past couple days. Like edge rusher Joshua Uche, running back A.J. Dillon, guard Kenyon Green and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, he costs very little, doesn’t affect the comp pick formula and is in need of a fresh start with a new team after disappointing recent results with his previous team.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Bryant, 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, played at Florida Atlantic, where he caught 148 passes for 2,137 yards with 16 touchdowns. In 2019, he led all BCS tight ends with both 65 catches and 1,004 yards and was fourth with seven touchdowns and 9th with 15.4 yards per catch.
The Browns picked him 115th overall in 2020, 12 picks after the Eagles took Davion Taylor and 12 picks before the Eagles took K’Von Wallace. He was the sixth tight end taken in the 2020 draft.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Simplecast | RSS | Watch on YouTube
