Steelers could bring back James
This was personally a name I was pounding the table for last offseason, as Jesse James was the epidemy of a fine all-around starter. While not a dynamic athlete, he was a capable safety valve that could catch passes and move the chains. As well, he developed into a decent blocker, meaning there isn’t a time that James would need to be off the field.
While Pat Freiermuth is obviously the starter going forward and Zach Gentry showed up as a good blocker and reserve, the third tight end spot is lacking. While not a position of great value, an injury to either Freiermuth or Gentry would leave this group lacking. James could fill in for either and be a slightly worse version of both.
While he did get some looks late in the season with the Bears, it seems unlikely that James gets much more than 1.5-2 million dollars next season as a reserve. Adding him brings a familiar face to a relatively young room. As well, adding James ensures that if either of the other tight ends misses some time the team could have someone to fill in.