New England Patriots: 3 solutions at tight end post NFL Draft
Solution No. 3: Do nothing, hope to develop who we already have
The least flashy solution of the bunch, but probably the most likely at this point in time. The New England Patriots don’t always address some of their roster issues, because frankly, they don’t necessarily have to.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have always given New England the ability to win games, regardless of how good the pass catchers on the roster are. I don’t necessarily “love” any of the tight ends we have, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have potential.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins is a top of the depth chart for the time being, and that isn’t as bad as some fans make it seem. Just last offseason, many teams were bidding for the services for ASJ after his career rebirth with division foes the New York Jets.
Last seasons he was extremely underutilized, and also dealt with multiple injuries. He is a great red zone threat due to his 6’6 stature but hasn’t been able to consistently put up good receiving numbers for an entire season. With Brady as the one feeding him the ball, they could, of course, go up, but he has to get open.
The player I have the most faith in of the bunch is Matt LaCosse.
Everyone jokes that since his last name looks like lacrosse (one of Belichick’s favorite sports), that was the reason he was picked up. The real reason believes it or not, is because he is a pretty damn good football player.
LaCosse spent time on multiple teams’ practice squad, but when given the opportunity showed some promise. He has good speed and size, so if he improves his route running a bit, could definitely be valuable to the offense.
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The other player to keep an eye on is recently signed undrafted free agent Andrew Beck. Beck was primarily used as a blocker while with the University of Texas but can be integrated into the passing game. He is extremely physical and just seems like a typical Patriots kind of player.
The New England Patriots tight end situation may seem bleak at the time being, but there is plenty of time between now and the season to refine the issue.