Many were left wondering wondering who in the world was  Many were left wondering wondering who in the world was 

Tim Wright Adds Dynamic Element to Patriots Offense

facebooktwitterreddit

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Many were left wondering wondering who in the world was Tim Wright after the New England Patriots announced they had traded All-Pro guard Logan Mankins for him on Tuesday. Wright makes his way to Foxboro from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Upon further examination of the trade, it quickly became obvious that the tight end can and will drastically improve the team’s offense.

Wright, 24, out of Rutgers, may not be household name, but those close to the game know he can play and execute at a high level.

“He’s great. He started for us down in Tampa, when I was there last year. And we are getting a solid player who can catch and who can run routes,”  said Darrelle Revis when asked about Wright.

It was no secret that the Patriots were in desperate need of tight end help. The position has been nothing but a revolving door this summer as the Patriots had signed and cut a slew of tight ends with the hopes building depth behind starter Rob Gronkowski. Wright’s particular skill set will provide the club with more than just depth. He has the ability to step in immediately and produce.

As a rookie last season with the Buccaneers, Wright snagged 54 passes for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns. He played in all 16 games. He averaged 10.6 yards per reception. Entering his second year, Wright will only continue to improve, especially under the guidance of Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady.

More from New England Patriots

Some liken Wright’s style to the way in which Aaron Hernandez played. He’s fast, can stretch the defense and can line up all over the field. His versatility will allow the Patriots to utilize him in a variety of different ways in a variety of personnel packages.

“He was a wide receiver coming in, then they switched him to tight end,” Revis said. “He has a lot of speed at the tight end position.”

Now Wright’s not going to step in and carry the Patriots offense, but he’ll provide Brady with another dangerous weapon in the aerial attack. Belichick will be able to deploy the once ever so dangerous two tight end set if he so chooses to again.

The six-foot-four-inch, 220-pounder becomes the fifth Rutgers player to join the Patriots. Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon, Logan Ryan and Steve Beauharnais all called the college home at one point.

Along with Gronkowski, Wright joins Michael Hoomanawanui and Steve Maneri as the team’s current tight ends.