Tight end is certainly not a position of strength for the Patriots.
Last year, it saw the worst production at the position in the entire league, and not much was really done to address the position this offseason. While they did select tight ends Devin Asiai and Dalton Keene in Round 3 of the NFL Draft, there were no big free agent additions or anything like that.
As the cut-down day gets closer, really anyone at the tight end position has a chance at making the roster, which includes undrafted rookie Jake Burt, who grew up in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and played his college ball at Boston College.
"It's obviously been a dream come true, every day I walk into this building I'm extremely grateful to the Patriots and this entire organization," Burt said via video conference Thursday. "I couldn't be more happy every single day I'm here, there's no other place I'd rather be, growing up a fan here and a fan of all Boston sports, it's really a dream come true and I'm appreciating every moment I have."
He added: "I was a Patriots fan through and through, as long as I can remember, a diehard, watching every game I could, always keeping up with the team, me, my friends, my family, always huge, huge Patriots fans. This is really a dream come true for me."
While it hasn't all been perfect for Burt, he has stood out on a number of plays and with not much depth at the position has the potential to sneak onto the roster. While it would be strange to have all rookies at the tight end position, Bill Belichick isn't afraid of doing anything.
"It's been great, all the guys in the room are great, Coach (Nick) Caley is great," Burt said. "It's been a really fun time getting to know the guys, competing every single day, and personally I've been trying to get better every single day, make sure my game is improving every single day and that's all I'm focused on."
