Tight end Gary Barnidge didn’t play in the NFL during the 2017 campaign, but he intends to search for an offer this season, according to Alex Marvez of the Sporting News.
Barnidge, 32, was released by the Browns last April just days after the club selected fellow tight end David Njoku in the first round of the draft. While a number of teams — including the Bills, Jaguars, Panthers, Broncos, and Texans — were linked to Barnidge, he ultimately never landed a contract.
“I had calls and opportunities and workouts and stuff like that but I was really frustrated,” Barnidge said. “Teams view you like once you’re an older guy, ‘Oh, you’re not worth as much. You can’t succeed. You can’t do that kind of stuff.’ That’s how they do it. That’s not the truth.
“As I proved when I was 30, 31, I went to the Pro Bowl (in 2015) and put the two best years up in my career because I was given the opportunity to play. Teams try to take advantage of the situation … You have second- and third-string guys who are getting significant amounts of money and you’re trying to pay me a lot less because I’m 31, 32 years old? My numbers show what I can do.”
Barnidge was a relative no-name until the 2015 season, when — at age 30 — the 6’5″ tight end broke out for 79 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Each of those totals were career-highs for Barnidge, and his yardage figure was the eighth-highest single-season total for a tight end since 2010.
The 2016 campaign wasn’t quite as fruitful for Barnidge, but he still managed 55 catches for 612 yards, solid numbers for a tight end in a weak Browns offense. He also graded as the league’s No. 1 pass-blocking tight end in 2016, per Pro Football Focus.
I still don’t know why Browns cut him in the first place. Solid player. Can do it all. Bring him back.
He’s a luxury they cannot afford. And I think it’s something that no one else signed him, either.
They have $110 million in cap space, how can they not afford him?
That is to say they have other priorities. They don’t need a veteran pass catching tight end. That’s someone you sign when you have everything else.
Exactly. The Steelers should’ve signed him
Vance McDonald and Jesse James was sufficient.
The Browns had a Ridiculous amount of Cap Space but an idiot Named Sashi Brown running things. Now they have a real GM.
They were doing their Logan’s Run purge.
That explains the dot on his hand.
I think it’s because he wasn’t a fit in Hue Jackson’s offense. He needs/wants a more athletic, vertical seem guy at TE rather than a check down type such as Barnidge. I liked Barnidge, should have kept him and McCown. Just another example of how Hue Jackson gets very little out of what’s on the roster bc he can’t adjust for anything… I hope Barnidge gets a decent deal somewhere. Good luck to him.
It was pure stupidity the only guy they had that consistently caught the ball was Duke Johnson who should be moved to Receiver. it was stupid to draft a TE, then cut your Veteran TE and be left with no reliable target for a Rookie QB other then the Running Backs.
It was a joke the Browns cut him and a Joke no one signed him maybe they were ticked off because of those Pro Wrestling Appearances. Funny that neither Barnidge or DeAngelo Williams were signed by anyone last year after those Wrestling appearances.