Sorry, we would’ve gotten this post out sooner, but James Hanna blocked my internet connection (meme, anyone?).
Seriously though, the Cowboys turn this into quite a pleasant Friday evening by wrapping up TE James Hanna to a 3-year $8.25 million deal, with $3.25 million in guarantees, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Charean Williams:
James Hanna's deal is worth $8.25 million, with $3.25 million guaranteed.
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) March 11, 2016
You may ask, “Why did we just pay a guy $3.25 million for 33 catches, 286 yards, and no touchdowns?” His is not a name that many fans around the league will recognize, but Hanna brings quite the arsenal of assets to our TE corps. As easily the best run blocker of the TEs, and one of the best in the game for that matter, James Hanna plays selflessly game after game to provide a fantastic edge presence to our zone blocking scheme.
Coming out of college, Hanna wasn’t known for his blocking. In fact, his specialty was his ability to run down the seam with speed and beat linebackers or slower safeties. Hanna ran a blistering 4.49 at the NFL combine in 2012, leading all TEs in that category. He wasn’t done there, though, as he posted finishes in the top four of EVERY drill that year.
Clearly, this is a guy we’d like to keep on our team.
With his development as a blocker, and his ability to catch and run, Hanna could prove to mold into a solid role player on this team. Given that he’s only 26, and Gavin Escobar’s days on this squad seem to be numbered, Hanna may be in line for starting reps when Jason Witten decides to call it quits.
