Patriots Rumors: The benefits of trading or releasing Hunter Henry
The New England Patriots tight end (TE) situation needs a makeover and not many fans would argue with that assessment. The TE room has been just fair in the post-Rob Gronkowski era, not that it wasn’t to be expected. You can’t replace the best ever, ever.
The Patriots have stumbled and bumbled their way to overall poor free-agent signings and dreadful drafting at the position. They need to do better and it has to be this offseason.
It’s time to have a great offseason for change and signing a solid free agent and drafting a next-generation TE has to be considered a priority.
In 2021 the team splashed lots of owner Robert Kraft’s cash and signed two tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. Smith has flopped and carries an enormous cap hit if released. Henry has been OK but not a top performer.
In Henry’s case, however, if he is released he will save a nice $10.5M on the salary cap. So it’s worth exploring if Henry should be shipped out to use the cap space elsewhere.
New England Patriots should keep Hunter Henry
The arguments to keep Henry around are pretty straightforward. He’s been their best TE for the past two seasons. He caught 41 passes for 509 yards and two TDs last season. That was down from a solid 50 with 603 yards and nine TDs in 2021.
No one else has done much of anything and the New England Patriots showed their lack of TE draft acumen when in 2020 they traded up to draft two tight ends in the third round, Devin Asiasi, and Dalton Keene. Neither is now with the team.
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The team can expect a season of maybe 45 catches and five TDs from Henry in 2023. That’s decent production but can the team better utilize the $10.5M in cap space if he’s cut loose or maybe even more if he’s traded?
It’s a fair question. Letting your best player at a position go is always risky business. But if that $10.5M can be applied e.g. toward signing a top starting free agent offensive tackle, would it be a prudent move?
New England Patriots trade or release Hunter Henry?
The New England Patriots would likely have a decent market for Hunter Henry were they to seek a trade. A team with few needs can always use a solid if not spectacular tight end.
Henry may fetch a third-rounder or maybe fourth and sixth-round picks perhaps from a top playoff team looking for a few pieces to put a final winner together.
They could also just release the player at some point and save the $10.5M on the salary cap. Cutting ties with Henry makes great cap sense and as noted, that tidy sum could be used to bolster other positions in free agency.
The chances are likely slim that the New England Patriots would move on from Henry unless they were certain they could add another better option in free agency or the draft. Their track record speaks otherwise.
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Nevertheless, the route they should take is clear. Henry should be traded or released to free cap space to be used elsewhere. The team should begin the makeover at the position now through free agency and/or the draft, and then send Smith out next when it makes salary cap sense.
Do you think the New England Patriots should trade or release Hunter Henry? We’d like to hear your thoughts.