The New England Patriots will never find another Rob Gronkowski, but here are three tight ends the team can trade for who could flourish in the offense.
With retired tight end Rob Gronkowski committed on staying retired, the New England Patriots will have to find value at the position from someone already on the team or via trade.
Finding production from someone already on the team in the passing game or blocking has been one of the few issues for the defending Super Bowl champions through the first seven weeks of the 2019 NFL season.
Second-year tight end Ryan Izzo has added a little something in the passing game with 6 receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown, but his glaring weakness in the blocking game has made an already battered offensive line look even more vulnerable.
The other tight end the team has relied on has been Matt LaCosse. Aside from a couple of catches, the veteran free agent pickup has spent more time nursing an injury than going out on routes for Tom Brady.
And then there is Ben Watson.
The 38-year-old tight end was released by the team in a surprising move, but then re-signed due to LaCosse’s injuy. Although he has familiarity with Brady and adds experience to the position, the tight end situation for the New England Patriots is even more uncertain.
That’s why Bill Belichick must work his magic on the trade market and here are three tight ends who can make life a little easier for Tom Brady and the Patriots passing attack.
Tyler Eifert
The top name surfacing in trade rumors involving the New England Patriots over the past few weeks has been Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
The intrigue here is what Eifert was before his rash of injuries when he was big target for the Bengals.
After a promising rookie season in 2013, Eifert has only played more than 10 games in a season once over the past five seasons. That one season, back in 2015, was his best season in the NFL in which he hauled in 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns.
You think Tom Brady and the New England Patriots wouldn’t value that kind of production in the red zone?
But the question is whether Tyler Eifert can stay healthy and whether there is enough reliability there for Bill Belichick to part ways with a mid-round pick to obtain him.
If he happens to be part of a bigger trade that lands the team A.J. Green, taking a flyer on the big tight end becomes less of a risk.
So far in 2019, Eifert has 15 receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown. That happens to be less production than Ryan Izzo, but if he can maintain his health, one has to think Tom Brady will find some chemistry with the big target around the goal line.
Austin Hooper
Would and could the Atlanta Falcons help the New England Patriots and propel them to another Super Bowl championship?
One would think a team that has been on a downward spiral since blowing a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI would stay away from anything Patriots related. But, the 1-5 Falcons find themselves in a position where they have to think about obtaining future assets for a player on the last year of his contract.
That player is tight end Austin Hooper.
A least known name in the NFL, Hooper is on pace for 1,300 yards receiving this season and would fill the Patriots needs big time.
These two teams have gotten on the phone before following that historical Super Bowl comeback, so it’s possible the Falcons would entertain trading Austin Hooper to the Patriots for a higher-round pick or a player.
Talk about solving the Patriots current need at the position. This addition would be a big boost for the offense.
Make it happen Bill Belichick.
O.J. Howard
Now, a team who has a history of wheeling and dealing with the New England Patriots are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Like the Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals, the Buccaneers are going no where this season and may be willing to part ways with former first-round pick O.J. Howard.
This is a deal that could benefit both teams. The Patriots get a stretch tight end who could flourish in an offense headed by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers could receive perhaps a third-round pick in return.
The Patriots certainly have the draft capital, but there has to be something in Howard besides talent that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick sees in him that would motivate them to go after him.
Signed through the 2020 season, the 24-year-old tight end could also become a part of the team’s future plans if that talent flourishes in New England.
Bill Belichick has had some luck with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers players before. He acquired Aqib Talib prior to a trade deadline at a time when the team desperately needed secondary help and LeGarrette Blount who helped the team win two Super Bowls with his powerful running style.
So, if O.J. Howard is on the trading block as rumored, the New England Patriots is his likely destination. And note, the Buccaneers also have another tight end worth considering in Cameron Brate.