NFL Free Agency: Falcons, Seahawks interested in Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Coming off of a career year, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins is entering free agency at the perfect time. The New York Jets have company for his services in the form of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks.

The New York Jets are strapped with a plethora of salary cap space this offseason to reshape their roster to finally take a step forward in the 2018 campaign. The team also possesses a few notable players that will hit the free agent market.

Among those players will be veteran tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who has just completed his four-year, $5.2 million rookie deal. According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the 25-year-old is expected to receive interest elsewhere in the league in free agency from a pair of NFC teams in the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons.

New York very much wants to retain tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. There will be plenty of competition to keep him, however, with the Seahawks and Falcons among those very interested.

The possible interest from these two teams steams from their respective situations at tight end. The Seahawks are expected to let Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham test the free agent market, which could see him entertain the scenario of returning to the New Orleans Saints. Seferian-Jenkins will likely be a step down in pay from Graham while he would provide stability at the position. Seattle currently has just over $30.7 million in salary cap space this offseason.

Meanwhile, the Falcons currently has backup tight end Levine Toilolo headed toward free agency. The addition of Seferian-Jenkins would provide more depth and another receiving option at the spot alongside Austin Hooper. What should also be kept in mind is that the Falcons only have $17.5 million in salary cap space at their disposal this offseason.

Seferian-Jenkins is coming off the most productive campaign of his career with 50 catches for 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 13 games played in 2017. New York certainly has the salary cap space to bring him back aboard currently holding an NFL-high $92 million ahead of the free agency period. The Jets may quickly turn their attention toward retaining Seferian-Jenkins once Pro Bowl Kirk Cousins makes his decision on his next landing spot.