Since Rob Gronkowski stepped away from the team in 2019, the Patriots\u2019 tight end corps is the least productive group in terms of receptions, yards, and touchdowns in the NFL.<\/p>\n
New England knew it needed to turn the page at tight end and spend legitimate capital on the position, so Bill Belichick drafted Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene in the third round of last year’s draft.<\/p>\n
Although the two second-year tight ends wouldn\u2019t deter the Patriots from exploring the top of the free-agent tight end market, there\u2019s internal optimism that Asiasi could be a starter in the future.<\/p>\n
According to a team source, Asiasi\u2019s progress down the stretch in his rookie season was promising. His ability to hold up as an in-line blocker was the first step coaches wanted to see and the belief is that Asiasi will continue to ascend as his confidence grows in the offense.<\/p>\n
The source didn\u2019t share the same optimism for Keene but speaking from the gut, hopefully, Keene transitions to more of a fullback role after he struggled as a traditional tight end.<\/p>\n
The Pats will monitor Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith’s markets, but the expectation is those two will receive massive deals after neither was tagged by Tuesday\u2019s deadline.<\/p>\n
New England is also kicking the tires on several tight ends in the upcoming draft, which features five prospects that I currently have ranked ahead of my TE1 in the 2020 draft (Adam Trautman).<\/p>\n
The Patriots will meet with at least three of those top prospects: Miami\u2019s Brevin Jordan, Boston College\u2019s Hunter Long, and Notre Dame\u2019s Tommy Tremble, while likely top-ten pick Kyle Pitts and top 50 candidate Pat Freiermuth round out a very strong group.<\/p>\n
With Asiasi\u2019s progress and potentially another tight end coming in April\u2019s draft, the Patriots could settle on one of the mid-level free agents that will provide a veteran presence.<\/p>\n
Pats fits Jared Cook and Kyle Rudolph were already released due to the league-wide cap crunch and could be the 2010 Alge Crumpler to Asiasi and a draft pick.<\/p>\n
Nobody is comparing anyone to Gronk or Aaron Hernandez (on the field). Still, Crumpler played an essential role during their rookie seasons\u2019 that lessened the burden on two young tight ends.<\/p>\n
Crumpler played over 53 percent of the snaps in 2010, more than Hernandez, and Gronk didn\u2019t take over as the top tight end on the depth chart until the last month of the season.<\/p>\n
Again, I wouldn\u2019t rule out Henry or Smith for New England, but the direction I continuously get pointed in when talking to people around the league is that the Patriots are more interested in spending at wide receiver than tight end. Maybe that\u2019s a smokescreen. We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, we\u2019ll rank all of the available tight ends and discuss their fits in New England\u2019s offense below:<\/p>\n
Henry checks all of the traditional boxes for an in-line tight end. He has size (6-5, 250) and box-out ability, a good initial burst off the line into his routes, a good feel for defeating zone coverage, in-line blocking ability, and his best work might be at the top of the route. Henry\u2019s quickness at the break point allowed him to be a very effective route runner, which would fit nicely with the Patriots. He understands the nuances of attacking a defenders\u2019 leverage in his stems to set up his breaks and accelerates through his breaks to create separation. Henry is a quick processor of coverage and works angled routes between the numbers with ease. With his big frame and movement skills, he\u2019s a tough receiver to cover. My only hesitations here are obviously durability, and that Henry hasn\u2019t developed into the elite tight end some thought he\u2019d be after his first two seasons in the league. Bill Belichick\u2019s noted admiration of Henry could lure the tight end here even though Henry said playing with a good quarterback is a priority. However, with a career-high 652 receiving yards in 2019, Henry is still searching for that elite-level production.<\/p>\n
I was tempted to go against the grain and move Smith above Henry, but Belichick\u2019s affinity for Henry made that a difficult sell. The Hoodie loves him some Jonnu Smith, too, though, and so do I. Smith is exactly the type of free-agent signing you want; an ascending 25-year-old player with untapped potential that needs a featured role in an offense to unlock all his athletic gifts. If I were an offensive coordinator, I would pound the table for Smith over Henry because of his versatility and big-play ability. Smith\u2019s 1.4 yards after catch over expected was third among all tight ends last year, and he\u2019s a player that can line up anywhere from tailback, in-line, or detached from the formation in a wide receiver alignment. Smith is also a threat up the seam and had eight touchdowns last season, all in the red zone. Smith\u2019s ceiling is more of an offensive weapon than a tight end, and that\u2019s very tempting as a play-caller due to the various ways you can scheme him open. Plus, Smith can still handle all of the necessary blocking responsibilities, whether it\u2019s as a hand-in-the-dirt player or blocking in space off the line. I would make a strong offer to Smith when free agency opens if I were the Pats\u2019 GM.<\/p>\n
Another athletic move tight end that is an ascending player in need of a larger role in the offense, Everett is the backup plan to Smith and Henry. In Sean McVay\u2019s wide zone scheme, Everett was set up to use his gifts as a ball carrier nicely with the Rams and didn\u2019t disappoint, averaging five yards after the catch in his career. He was used on routes into the flats but had a few opportunities up the seams as well. At 26 years old, Everett is reaching the stage of his career where tight ends usually start to take off production-wise. His skill set isn\u2019t all that different than Smith\u2019s, but Everett should come cheaper. There\u2019s certainly some upside there, and even if Everett\u2019s production doesn\u2019t improve, he\u2019d still be the best tight end on the roster immediately.<\/p>\n
The Packers have until March 17 to tender Tonyan, who will likely get the second-round tender next week. Still, Tonyan\u2019s situation is worth monitoring after a breakout season a year ago. In Green Bay\u2019s west coast scheme, Tonyan was a legitimate vertical threat. He paired good speed off the line with a more advanced release package than you\u2019d expect for an undrafted tight end. Tonyan\u2019s lateral agility allowed him to set up his vertical releases and get off press coverage, and all this added up to an insane 88.1 catch rate (52 catches on 59 targets). Tonyan is also a capable blocker with good functional strength. If the Packers get lazy with his RFA situation, the Patriots could pounce.<\/p>\n
Over the last two seasons, Cook has out-produced the Pats tight ends all by himself, and it\u2019s not even close. Cook\u2019s 16 receiving touchdowns over that span are tied for the second-most among tight ends, and the recently released veteran was nearly a Patriot in 2019. Cook might\u2019ve signed with New England if he knew that Rob Gronkowski was not returning for the 2019 season but decided to go to New Orleans, where he was the guaranteed number one tight end. Cook is a dynamite pass-catcher on vertical routes using his size and speed to get up the seams and play above the rim. He\u2019s got an enormous catch radius and knows how to use his body to box out at the catch point. Cook is more of a Darren Waller or Travis Kelce type than a traditional in-line option, but he\u2019d bridge the gap for the young Pats’ tight ends and bring a boost to the passing game. He\u2019d be my top option if the Patriots want to take a short-term approach at the position.<\/p>\n
The Patriots had trade talks at multiple points over the last few seasons regarding Rudolph, who is now a free agent after Minnesota released him. There are higher-impact players in the passing game, there\u2019s still some juice left, and Rudolph is a savvy vet that would bring a sense of professionalism to the tight end room. He blocks well, is a big target in the red zone, and won\u2019t cost you much in terms of contract value or term. If the Patriots believe in Asiasi or love a tight end in this year\u2019s draft, then Rudolph is their type of player that fits the Alge Crumpler comparison to a tee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Since Rob Gronkowski stepped away from the team in 2019, the Patriots\u2019 tight end corps is the least productive group in terms of receptions, yards, and touchdowns in the NFL. New England knew it needed to turn the page at tight end and spend legitimate capital on the position, so Bill Belichick drafted Devin Asiasi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":131993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[514,228,510,275,511,509,210,515],"class_list":["post-63267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-gerald-everett","tag-hunter-henry","tag-jared-cook","tag-jonnu-smith","tag-kyle-rudolph","tag-nfl-free-agency","tag-patriots","tag-robert-tonyan"],"yoast_head":"\n