New England Patriots: Bill Belichick needs his own George Kittle

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s praise of tight end George Kittle a reminder of what the team is missing on offense.

The New England Patriots will face another great tight end in George Kittle in the team’s Week 7 matchup against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers.

In preparing against their NFC foe, Bill Belichick had a lot of praise for the dynamic playmaker, which has not only pumped Kittle up, but offered a brave reminder of what the Patriots’ offense has been missing the last couple of years since Rob Gronkowski stopped wearing No. 87.

"“Kittle is a great player,” Belichick said, via ESPN.  “He does everything well.  I’d put him right at the top of the league there, period.  His ability to run, catch, get open, after the catch, block, he does everything at a high level.  He’s as good as anybody that I’ve coached or as good as anybody that we’ve played against.”More from Chowder and Champions3 Patriots on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster DeadlineMLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season"

The praised obviously was a great compliment to the ears of George Kittle, who called the praise “incredible” and offered mutual respect.  But, within those compliments, which Kittle deserves, is a reminder of what Belichick has failed to do over the last couple of years.  He hasn’t been able to develop a tight end.

Anytime you have a great force like a Rob Gronkowski, replacing such a great playmaker and blocker is going to be hard to do, but it’s not impossible considering where a player like George Kittle was drafted.

So, why hasn’t Bill Belichick been able to identity and draft a serviceable tight end over the last few seasons?

Well, maybe he has and just time and opportunity are laying in the way of that tight end emerging.

One of the tight ends he has drafted in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Ryan Izzo, is getting that opportunity now.  However, it’s obvious, he will never be a George Kittle type of offensive force.

New England Patriots need to see what they have in Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene

That brings us to the two third-round picks Belichick selected in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In Devin Asiasi, the Patriots have a tight end with size, athleticism and tremendous upside.  But, he has yet to see a target in the Patriots’ offense.  But perhaps his time is coming as the season moves forward.  With the lack of the production out of the tight end position through the first six weeks of the season, the offense is starving for him to at least become a viable target this season.

The wildcard and a player actually compared to George Kittle is Virginia Tech product Dalton Keene who has yet to make his NFL debut.

A versatile, tough tight end who and play the fullback position, Keene seems like the type of player who will find success in a New England Patriots uniform.  In contributing as a H-back and fullback in college, Dalton Keene is a football player, which was what attracted Belichick to him.

So, is his time and opportunity coming?

Hopefully. Considering the lack of spark from the tight end position the team has gotten so far this season, it wouldn’t hurt to see what both Keene and Asiasi can do on the field.  With a tight end like George Kittle suiting up on the other side, it would be nice to start seeing some production from a position that has been so vital to the New England Patriots offense for over two decades.

From Russ Francis to Ben Coates to Rob Gronkowski, it’s about time the team developed the next great pass-catching tight end.