New England Patriots: 3 biggest disappointments during training camp

New England Patriots disappointment No. 1: Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene both flame out

For the most part, the Patriots 2020 draft haul has been OK. Kyle Dugger has been a solid safety so far, and both Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings appear set to play big roles on defense this season. But it’s clear Belichick made a horrible call when he double-dipped in the tight end market during the third round when he selected both Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

Just two seasons later, neither player is on the roster, and both left without doing much of anything for New England. The pair could never find their way onto the field, whether it be a result of poor play or injuries, and it was mightily disappointing to see both of Belichick’s swings on these tight ends end up being misses during training camp.

Asiasi and Keene will leave New England with a combined five catches to their name. Neither could do much of anything in 2020 when they were the two top tight ends on the team, and their path to playing time was all but eliminated when Smith and Hunter Henry were brought in during the ensuing offseason.

Keene simply couldn’t stay on the field long enough to make any sort of impact, and it wasn’t surprising to see Belichick cut his losses with him midway through camp. Asiasi stayed on the field competing for the backup tight end spot, but simply did not show enough to earn a roster spot. That may be more disappointing than Keene’s inability to stay on the field.

Either way, the Pats will head into the 2022 season with just Smith and Henry on their roster, which isn’t horrible, but leaves them pretty thin at the position. This certainly isn’t what Belichick envisioned when he selected both these guys in the third round, but this will go down as a massive failure on Belichick’s end. Hopefully some of his more recent picks will pan out soon, otherwise the Pats could be in some serious trouble moving forward.