Welcome back to Armchair GM! Our latest installment takes us just over the halfway mark in our offseason look at the players we think might be great fixtures of future Foxboro football teams. Thus far we’ve knocked out three positions of need: QB, WR and The Defensive Front Seven. And now we tackle yet another position of need: Tight End.
How sad is the Patriots tight end situation right now? Just type the words “Patriots Tight End” into Google, and in the “People Also Ask” section the third most frequently asked is, “Do the Patriots have a tight end?” That’s sad. Yes, they do. Several, actually. But how we got to this low point isn’t so simple.
Tough this doesn’t come from a meme it sounds like it would: one does not simply replace The Gronk. The man is a Patriots legend, and arguably the greatest tight end of all time. However you may feel about his coming out of retirement to join Tompa Bay, the fact remains the Patriots haven’t come close to replacing half of prime Gronk in the two years since his initial retirement. Much like replacing the legend of Tom Brady it seems the Pats didn’t have a great succession plan for Gronk. And that’s being nice. There was a TE rich draft in 2019, and free agents galore, and yet the Pats made some curious choices at a position they once dominated.
In 2019 the lethal Watson/LaCosse/Izzo connection went into the season ranked thirty first in the league and delivered on that promise, finishing the year with two touchdowns! That used to be a good game for Gronk. Realizing that the position was in need of an injection of youth and talent the Pats selected two tight ends in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, a draft considered WR rich and TE light. In came Devon Asiasi and Dalton Keene to bolster the ranks. Out went Ben Watson (retirement) and Matt LaCosse (opt-out). And together, alongside seventh-round stalwart Ryan Izzo, the new guys produced, wait for it, ... one touchdown during the 2020 campaign. Sure, the Pats only had 12 TD passes for the season, two of which were thrown by a wide receiver. Obviously the air game wasn’t their thing last season.
Maybe the shortened offseason, virtual learning, Cam’s throwing difficulty and more hindered the growth of Asiasi and Keene. Maybe they stink. Who knows? And that’s the frustrating part of this. Because the new guys should be the answer, or at least provide adequate production at the position. With just five catches between the rookies in 2020 it’s safe to say we saw few glimmers of hope, though Asiasi’s lone TD in the season finale was pretty sweet. The position needs a lot more production if the Patriots are to begin their turnaround in 2021. Armchair GM to the rescue once again!
How the Pats address the TE conundrum is one of the many million dollar questions facing the team. There’s a chance LaCosse opts back in and they stand pat given the draft capital invested last April. Maybe they go after a big fish in free agency. Perhaps a trade for a veteran in need of an address change is in order. Or could they dip their toes back into the draft once again? Whatever route they pursue we’ve got you covered with two solid options every which way.
TRADE
Not the likeliest route to bolster the ranks, but a couple familiar names still linger...
ZACH ERTZ - Just two seasons ago the likely soon to be former Eagle set an NFL record with 116 receptions, plus eight TDs. Since then injuries and the addition of Dallas Goeddert have led to a steady decline in Philly. He’s absolutely in need of a change of scenery, and will most definitely get one this offseason. But where? Reports are the Colts, where his former OC Frank Reich is now coach, are a likely suitor. Word was several teams inquired about the eight year vet at midseason but the Eagles held tight hoping for a better offer. Ertz is someone I was hoping the Pats targeted then,and might again. He would be the perfect veteran addition for a room in desperate need of experience and pro smarts. He’s owed good money in 2021, and may not be 2018 Ertz anymore, but for a fourth? Please and thank you!
DAVID NJOKU- Some still can’t figure if we’ve seen the ceiling on the former first round pick out of The U (his career year was 2018 with 56 catches and 4 TDs). He’s been rumored to be a potential trade target for a number of teams, and last offseason the Browns signed Austin Hooper to a megadeal, and drafted Mackie Winner Harrison Bryant in the fourth round. So you’d figure Njoku would be expendable, yet the Browns exercised his fifth year option for over six million clams. Is this a ploy to get fifty cents on their 2017 Njoku draft dollar? And would the Pats be willing to part ways with another draft pick on a talented boom-or-bust TE who’s better known for his receiving than his blocking? If they had a Rod Rutledge or Dwayne Allen type on the roster I’d say a receiver of Njok’s size and skill would be worth the risk.
FREE AGENCY
Our guess for the quick fix is shopping from a decent free agency market, with the marquee name out there potentially being the Pats top offensive target.
HUNTER HENRY- There’s no such thing as a lock in terms of a free agent the Patriots will bid on. Yet if there was then Henry fits the bill. He’s got the size, speed and skill that Belichick covets from the position.. Henry has had a solid start to his career with the Chargers, emerging from Antonio Gates’ shadow to become one of the league’s best. And Belichick, beyond the extended postgame chat and hug last December, has been effusive in his praise of Henry’s game. He’s practically stalking the guy at this point. So a multiyear deal, when the Pats have the need and the cash, makes too much sense, right? He doesn’t have to be Gronk 2.0, but Coates 2.0 would be nice.
JONNU SMITH- Smith looks the part of a stud tight end, yet has never had more than 41 ctahces in a season. He was on track to have one of those perfect free agency seasons in 2020, but then kind of disappeared in the Titans offense in the second half of 2020. Not quite sure what to make of him, yet the stat geeks at PFF think he’s due for a big season and will make big bucks on the open market. Guess that tells you how thin a free agent TE crop this is. Still, Belichick has gone on the record as a fan. Perhaps Smith will finally thrive if given the chance to be an offensive focal point (Tennessee is all about King Henry and AJ Brown) and lead a position the Patriots love to employ.
THE DRAFT
Considering that the Patriots need a veteran presence, and they just drafted two players in 2020, one would think that another draft not exactly rich in TE prospects wouldn’t be a well the Pats would dip back into. But, should Belichick be Belichick and buck expectations then there are two players who would look great in navy color rush, or any pro jersey for that matter.
KYLE PITTS
Straight up, Pitts might be the most sure-fire pass catching prospect in the 2021 draft. And yes, we know a wide receiver won the Heisman. Pitts has speed, moves and hands that are video game-esque for someone his size. He’ll be a Day 1 starter and a star in the league in no time. Though it’s a risky game to comp someone out with such certainty Kyle Pitts is The Next Travis Kelce. And considering the impact KC’s 87 has had the past couple years it’s hard to see this guy make it out of the top 10. But if he does, even with Asiasi and Keene in the mix you have to grab someone this talented, the ultimate :talent over need” pick.
HUNTER LONG- I have it from two very reliable sources that Long, winner of the top tight end at last week’s Senior Bowl make a great Patriot:
1.) BC coach Jeff Hafley, one of the best interviews in Boston sports and a reason to believe the Eagles will be a contender sooner rather than later, told our station that Long is pro ready and would be an immediate contributor to a team that needs a steady TE presence like the Pats.
2.) Jon Meterparel, the voice of BC football, told me and Jermaine Wiggins during a holiday broadcast that Long, who at one point was the leading TE in 2020, needs to be in a Patriots uniform and would be good for 50 catches and a couple TDs his rookie year. He’s dependable, can block and always shows up.
Who am I to argue with the coach and the voice? Plus, Pro Football Focus has him mocked to the Pats in the fourth round, and I’d take that draft yesterday. Hey, we love it when a local kid does well, especially when it’s in Foxboro. Preferably for the Pats, not against them.
And there we have it; one position of need, six players to keep an eye on. Maybe no new Gronk, but improvements aplenty from a variety of outlets. Next week we’ll take a peek at a position of strength that you can never have enough talent in: the secondary.
