Falcons tight end Jacob Tamme, who is done for the season following shoulder surgery, faces six months of rehab before returning to full speed football, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. This is especially notable as Tamme looks ahead to free agency. Free agency starts in March, but it sounds like the veteran won’t be back to his normal self until May. 
Tamme came to Atlanta on a two-year, $3.2MM deal before the 2015 season. In his first year with the Falcons, Tamme had 59 catches for 657 yards, putting him in the top 11 among tight ends in both categories. This year, Tamme’s season ended with 22 catches for 210 yards and three touchdowns, making him Atlanta’s top TE.
Clearly, Tamme can still move the chains, but he may not find a strong market by the time he is ready for inspection. By May, many teams will already be set at tight end and they’ll have significantly less cap room than they did at the beginning of the spring. Tamme turns 32 in March, so he’ll also have his age working against him.