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Source: Jets to meet with Keller's agent

Dustin Keller has spent his entire five-year career with the Jets. Debby Wong/USA TODAY Sports

The Jets are expected to meet with the agent for tight end Dustin Keller later this week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, according to a league source.

Keller is one of the team's top unsigned players. If he's not signed or tagged by March 12, he will hit the open market. There has been speculation about the Jets using the franchise tag on Keller -- the tag amount for a tight end is $5.96 million -- but there's no evidence to suggest it will happen. That would be a tight squeeze for the Jets, who have serious salary-cap issues.

The two sides have yet to exchange proposals, the source said, but Keller is someone the Jets should think hard about re-signing. His value to the team increased when Marty Mornhinweg was hired as offensive coordinator. He employs a West Coast system that relies heavily on a pass-catching tight end.

Keller missed eight games last season because of hamstring and ankle injuries, but if you take a closer look at his numbers, he was actually quite effective. He was targeted 36 times and he had 28 receptions, a 78-percent completion rate -- by far the best on the team.