National Football League

Philadelphia Eagles should re-sign tight end Trey Burton

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:05 a.m. ET

Fansided, Anthony Fabrikant/FanSided via Inside the Iggles

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Trey Burton needs to be a priority for the team this offseason

It is difficult to identify a player that has grown more over the last three seasons than Trey Burton. Burton was a former quarterback, fullback, tight end, and wide receiver during his college days at Florida. While a Gator, Burton even tied Tim Tebow’s team record for rushing touchdowns in a game with five. But Burton went undrafted before signing with the Eagles in 2014. Since, Burton made his contributions primarily on special teams and even led the unit in tackles (19) in 2015.

When Doug Pederson was hired as the head coach of the Eagles before the 2016 season, he was taken aback by how crisp Burton’s routes were. Pederson initially thought he was a receiver before realizing it was Burton.

This season, Burton’s involvement in the offense only confirmed Pederson’s findings and confidence in the backup tight end. Burton went from three receptions in 2015, to 37 in 2016.

There’s a place for Burton with the Eagles moving forward.

Burton’s role in the offense is likely to grow. In the second game of 2016, a 29-14 win for the Eagles, Burton notched his first career touchdown reception and finished the game with five catches for 49 yards.

Burton would later have three more games with at least five receptions. His best game came in a 27-22 loss to the Washington Redskins, where he recorded seven catches for 65 yards. In the Eagles’ season finale, Burton reeled in five catches for 39 yards as the team finished the season beating the Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. Carson Wentz grew more comfortable throwing to his tight ends as the season went on and, in the future, will likely continue to look for Burton downfield.

As offseason moves begin to manifest and the team focuses on Bennie Logan, Burton requires attention. His contributions to special teams since his rookie season have helped the Eagles have one of the best units in the NFL. As Wentz continues to develop, the chemistry he and Burton have displayed could be an important component. The Eagles would be crazy not to re-sign Burton.