Okay, in free agency (stages 8-9), it looks like we have come up with our answers at the TE position, at least short term. Nothing really came together in the draft, so this is basically what's on the table for right now:
Raul Paulsen (8th year, 49/49) is a pretty good plug-in -- he was asking for big money, we got him on a one year salary-only deal (correctly sensing nobody else would pay). He's a career 8.4 ypt guy, pretty good. Decent blocker, decent special teamer, definitely good enough to start and be a 100 target guy for us this year. At $14m, he's a one year solution, and then we'd reassess his future.
Cooper O'Neil 10th year, 48/48 - he's a different option in many ways. Older, but cheaper and signed risk-free for 3 years. Better blocker by far, strong special teamer, so he's got several intangibles going for him here. But... a career 5.5 ypt guy. That reeks of poor gameplanning to me, but still he's got key receiving bars in the 40s, so he's not a star there.
I will have to sort out what to do this season and beyond, but this position is no longer in crisis. One or both of these guys will fit in, and likely be just fine.