As the Houston Texans try their best to shed salary cap concerns and get their roster in order under a new regime, solid players are being let go in the name of financial savings, including tight end Darren Fells. After being released on Thursday, Fells is now a free agent who can sign with any franchise he wants, and he’s exactly the sort of second-tier target who makes sense for the ndsfan.
The #Texans are releasing veteran TE Darren Fells, source said, after 11 TDs in the last 2 seasons.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2021
Fells is a veteran tight end who has been around the league for a long time, a journeyman who took some time to find his footing playing football at the pro level after taking a very rare route to the NFL. After graduating high school, he played college basketball at UC-Irvine and then went to Europe to play basketball overseas for several years, from 2008 to 2012. From there, he decided to try out football like his brother Daniel Fells and the Seattle Seahawks came calling.
From there, he eventually landed a chance with the Arizona Cardinals and began to show what he could do as a tight end prospect with great hands. Fells needed only a single year to develop on an NFL roster before he was good to start contributing meaningful reps and he started five games his second season in the league. After three seasons with the Cards, he landed with the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns for one-year stints before spending the last two years with the Texans.
Over the years, Fells has caught 123 passes for 1,483 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in 7 NFL seasons. In Houston, he had 11 touchdowns in two years and showed he could be a solid end zone threat for Deshaun Watson. He has good hands and impressive athleticism, and it’s clear his basketball background serves him well.
For the Chiefs, the idea of adding Fells would fill a role as a pass catching tight end behind or beside Travis Kelce if the Chiefs were interested. They’ve also brought back Blake Bell for a one-year deal to serve as their primary blocker, and Nick Keizer was also tendered an offer to come back, too, so it’s very possible the Chiefs feel content with what they have.
That said, Fells offers what others do not as a hands-first receiver who can step in for Kelce if needed. He’s an upgrade on Keizer and would be an elder/mentor in the locker room. Are the Chiefs already settled at the position? Are they even interested in a decent pass catching tight end other than Kelce? It will be interesting to see if any rumors emerge here.