Part of the problem with TE's is that they come in 2 types. The pass catching WR type who will wow you with stats and acrobatic catches (Gronk, Kelce, Olsen, Eifert, Graham and that guy in Washington spring to mind) and the type that are not that type. Everybody wants one of the former type but there are not that many around. If you have one of those, chances are he is either the #1 or #2 pass catching option on your team. If you have three or 4 really good WRs and add in a really good pass catching RB your TE may be the 4th or even 5th receiving option on your team. If your receivers and RB have a down year your 4th or 5th receiving option becomes even more important and when he doesn't step up he looks even more pedestrian in comparison.
I think that's what happened with the Packers an RR last season. He was never going to be more than the 4 or 5th pass catching threat on the team and if guys in front of him would have produced like we expected RRs shortcomings would have been far less obvious. Who knows, if the guys in front of him in the pass catching pecking order would have performed up to expectations maybe RR's numbers would not have been so pedestrian.
A lot has been said about the Packers needing a big, fast TE who can jump 4 feet into the the air and catch anything that comes within 5 yards but do they really NEED that guy? No doubt that guy would be nice and I wouldn't complain if we found him somewhere but I have other concerns about our passing game that goes beyond our TE. Obviously I would like to see THAT TE in Green Bay and I would like to see our receivers get back to what they were the year before but like I said in another post, might have been on another forum, If my choices were the Packers passing game, minus the TE, of 2014 and Richard Rodgers or the Packers passing game, minus the TE, of 2015, and the best TE in the game, I'd go for the former in a heartbeat.
IMO Rodgers will be a more than adequate TE if the rest of the Packers passing game comes around and if the rest of the Packers passing game doesn't come around I don't know how much that stud TE will help.
Like I said, I wouldn't mind that TE that Uffda is calling for. He would be a great benefit to our team but IMO it is not the most important issue we have right now. Two things I would like to see addressed before the TE position would be ILB, we need a guy that can be a sideline to sideline player and not be a hindrance in pass coverage and a second pass rusher to pair with Clay be it another OLB or a D-lineman. After seeing what Denver did to the Panthers and after seeing the Packers defense become its saving grace, if there was one, this past season I'm convinced that a top 5 defense and an average offense will take you further than and average defense and a top 5 offense. Even without an improved TE I think the Packers have a better than average offense so if they can boost their defense it will help more than boosting their offense.
That said, if Ted Thompson decides to go after a guy like Ladarius Green in FA or take Hunter Henry in the draft I won't complain. Its not our biggest area of need but a better player at the position would make us better an that is what the off season is for.