Barnidge looking for opportunity to be a team's top TE
Gary Barnidge may have gotten the boot from his last team, but that hasn't discouraged him from looking to make an impact on his next one.
The former Cleveland Browns tight end has reportedly received interest from the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Denver Broncos since being released during the draft. Just a year removed from a 1,000-yard, 9-touchdown season, Barnidge still believes he can contribute as some team's top tight end.
"Of course, I would love to be the (number) one guy," Barnidge told SiriusXM NFL radio on Monday. "I've showed the last two years, with multiple different quarterbacks, I was still able to produce without one single guy, whether it be injuries or just things not working out. I've shown I’ve been able to produce with multiple guys throwing the ball.
"I don't think that’s an issue, but if they want me to come in and help mentor, I've got no problem doing that, either."
Barnidge, 31, is downplaying his age, citing the fact that he was used very sparingly through the first seven seasons, though he knows it may limit his opportunities.
"I know I'm getting up in my years, which is fine, but I still have plenty of years to play," Barnidge said. "As long as I get the opportunity, I think teams will have no problem with that.
"They'll see that I'm still ready, because the first seven years of my career, I never got an opportunity to start, so I didn't have the wear and tear on my legs. I didn't have any of that kind of stuff."
Barnidge may be in luck, as the Bills, Broncos, and Jaguars are all lacking a bona fide number one tight end.