It appears as though “Dalton Keene SZN” will never materialize. And least not in Foxboro, or with the Patriots.
In advance of Tuesday’s roster cutdown to 80 players, the New England Patriots have released third year tight end Dalton Keene. The TE/H-Back hybrid player out of Virginia Tech was frequently beset by injuries during his two years with the team, never allowing him to find a role with the club. The Pats were looking for stability at the position after the retirement of Rob Gronkowski in 2019, which lead them to draft two tight ends in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft; Devin Asiasi and Keene.
The Pats traded up for Keene, sending two fourth-round picks and a sixth-rounder to take the former Hokie 101st overall. Neither had an impact on the 2020 team, just five catches between the two, leading the Patriots to make expensive splashes in the free agency pool of 2021, acquiring Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry.
Keene, nicknamed “Rambo”, has a unique style from his hair to his mustache, a penchant for wearing short shorts and more. He had a cool story of setting up a quarantine gym during the 2020 offseason to stay in shape in advance of his rookie season, as profiled by our Rob Bradford. Many things about him lead some to think he’d be a fan favorite, while others wondered what his role with the team would be, or if he’d ever find a true position or playing time. An inability to stay healthy prevented any of that from coming to fruition. Now, Keene enters free agency sadly with just three catches in the NFL, and the tag of another wasted higher-end draft pick for the Patriots. Asiasi could soon find himself in a similar situation.
NFL rosters will be cut down to 80 players by 4pm Tuesday August 23rd, with the final cutdown to 53 players the following Tuesday, August 30th, also by 4pm.