Visanthe Shiancoe Joins Deep Patriots Tight End Corps

Visanthe Shiancoe Agrees To Terms With New England Patriots

Despite boasting arguably one of the best tight-end tandems in the history of the NFL, the New England Patriots are adding veteran depth at the position.

After visiting with the Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks over the past month, Visanthe Shiancoe has decided to ink a one-year deal with the Pats, according to Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole.

Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but one would assume that Shiancoe will serve as nothing more than insurance for the team and a blocker in special situations. With Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez serving as vital pieces to Tom Brady's arsenal, Shiancoe will enter training camp third on the depth chart. The Patriots' other tight end, Daniel Fells, is currently on the Active/Physically Unable to Preform (PUP) list.

The 32-year-old Shiancoe, a 10-year NFL veteran, had some great years with the Minnesota Vikings, compiling 208 receptions for 2,424 yards and 24 touchdowns, including 11 TD receptions in 2009 playing alongside Brett Favre. Given the presence of Gronkowski and Hernandez on the Pats' roster, though, it's very unlikely that Shiancoe will reach that level of production in 2012.

For more on the New England Patriots and Visanthe Shiancoe, be sure to visit SB Nation's Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston.

Eagles May Be Interested In Jeremy Shockey, According To Report

The Philadelphia Eagles seem to be interested in getting some help at the tight end position. As was reported earlier, Visanthe Shiancoe will be visiting with the team, who may wish to court him. But the Eagles could also be interested in another veteran tight end -- namely, Jeremy Shockey.

Tim McManus of Phillymag reported that the Eagles appear to be seriously considering trying to pick up Shockey.

Bleeding Green Nation offers this take:

Now, he's another big body at 6-5 and is actually about a year younger than Schiancoe at 31. He too, hasn't been super productive in recent seasons either, but not awful. He's only caught 37 and 41 passes in the last two years respectively with a total of 7 TDs. He'll be looking for his 3rd team in 3 seasons. He's also a bit injury prone.

Shockey has plenty of detractors, both in the league and especially among fans. He may not be a solid fit with the Eagles, but he could prove to be a cheaper option than Shiancoe.

For more on the Philadelphia Eagles, head over to Bleeding Green Nation or check out SB Nation Philadelphia.

Visanthe Shiancoe Will Visit Philadelphia Eagles

Free agent Visanthe Shiancoe is making his visits around the NFL in hopes of finding a new home. After visiting the New England Patriots last week, the talented tight end will meet with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, who had a visit with the Pats last week, will visit the Eagles on Tues. One of the best free agents still on market

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) July 23, 2012

Shiancoe has been very productive with the Minnesota Vikings the last four seasons. Though he's a ways removed from his 11-touchdown season in 2009, he still caught 36 passes for 409 yards and three scores last season. While Brent Celek would likely still be the de facto starter in Philadelphia, Shiancoe would provide the Eagles with some very valuable depth.

For more on the Eagles, head over to the SB Nation blog Bleeding Green Nation. For more on the Vikings, check out Daily Norseman.

New England Patriots Hosting TE Visanthe Shiancoe On Thursday

The New England Patriots will visit with free agent tight end Visanthe Shianco on Thursday, according to a report.