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New England Patriots Rumors: Ben Watson a realistic option at tight end

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 04: Benjamin Watson #82 of the New Orleans Saints puts the ball in his shirt after catching a touchdown pass to score during the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 04: Benjamin Watson #82 of the New Orleans Saints puts the ball in his shirt after catching a touchdown pass to score during the second quarter of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots may have another option at the tight end position in the name of their former first-round draft pick Ben Watson.

There have been rumors veteran tight end Ben Watson wanted to return to the NFL after retiring after the 2018 season.  Of course, with those rumors came instant links to the New England Patriots, the team that drafted him in the first round back in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Actually, what available tight end hasn’t been linked to the defending Super Bowl champions following the retirement of Rob Gronkowski.

Following a 2019 NFL Draft that saw the Patriots pass on just about every top prospect tight end, it appears Bill Belichick may have had a backup plan that goes beyond a possible return of Gronkowski mid-season.

As reported by NFL Insider Ian Rapoport, the 38-year-old Watson is indeed unretiring and meeting with the team on Thursday.

Obviously past his prime, Watson would give the New England Patriots some depth and experience at the position.  In catching 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns last season with the New Orleans Saints, he can still be productive playing with a quarterback in Tom Brady he is familiar with.

He would also bring leadership to the position that currently has Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Matt LaCosse and second-year tight end Ryan Izzo anchoring the depth chart.  As far as value and what the Patriots currently need at the position, Ben Watson makes a lot of sense for one-year, but a reunion is not set in stone.

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As Yahoo! Sports reported, Watson has also had conversations with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.  Out of those teams, coming back to New England would be his best option as far as potential playing time and of course a chance at winning a Super Bowl.

The irony of Ben Watson ending his career with Patriots

Prior to Rob Gronkowski, Benjamin Watson was drafted in 2004 to be the dominant pass-catching tight end the team missed since the days of Ben Coates.

With 2006 being his best season in New England, catching 49 passes for 643 yards, Watson never really lived up to expectations with the Patriots.  In six seasons, he totaled 167 receptions for 2102 yards and 20 touchdowns.

In producing his best years after leaving the Patriots 2010 (the same year Rob Gronkowski was draft), Watson became a reliable, producing tight end during his years with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints.

In his best NFL season, the 38-year old tight end racked up 74 catches for 825 yards and six touchdowns with the Saints in 2015 and he did that at the age of 35.  So, he certainly has something left in the tank to add to the team and it would be more than ironic that Rob Gronkowski’s retirement would lead to his possible return to the Patriots as it was the drafting of Gronkowski that led him out of New England.

New England Patriots: 3 solutions at tight end post NFL Draft. dark. Next

Of course, it will depend on what kind of money Benjamin Watson is seeking and where he sees as his best fit in this point of his career.

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