Been processing the whirlwind of activity over the last couple of days and though I usually skew to the defensive side of the ball, Martellus Bennett‘s potential impact is what has been most interesting to me.
Bill Belichick’s preference for the two tight end sets has been well chronicled. Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria, Graham and Ben Watson, and Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez are just a few of the more well-known combos that had success. Last year the Pats tried to add Scott Chandler with Gronk but they never found their stride.
Gronkowski and Hernandez had the most devastating run from 2010-2012. Combined with the Pats lightning-fast no-huddle, Gronk and Hernandez exploited defensive mistmatches all over the league and almost took the Pats all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.
But in all these cases it was a combination of a “Y” tight end, one who can play in-line and block, and an “F” tight end, one who is better in space and often a less-than-desired blocker.
Now, with the addition of another true “Y” tight end in Bennett, the Patriots have the potential to take the two tight end set to the next level. Both Gronkowski and Bennett are equally talented catching and running with the ball in their hands as they are lining up next to a tackle and blocking.
Hernandez caused plenty of problems receiving, but he was never a threat to motion in-line and set up a power run scheme. But now the Patriots will have that kind of flexibility. They can shift from a pro set with two tight ends in-line right into a spread offense and still be just as effective.
The possibilities are really unlimited. What personnel does a defense defend Gronkowski and Bennett with? Because whatever you choose to defend — the run with your base defense or the pass with you sub defense — the Pats will attack the opposite with equal devastation.
Put a defensive back on one of those tight ends and they’ll run the ball right at him. Stick a slower linebacker on him and they’ll wish you luck in coverage.
I’m fascinated to see how Bennett assimilates into New England, and there’s certainly some cause for concern just as there was with Corey Dillon, Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth and Hernandez. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, and not always just for off-the-field issues. Sometimes, like in Ochocinco’s case, players just can’t pick up the playbook and/or earn Tom Brady‘s trust.
But the potential is certainly there for this to be a new incarnation of the two tight end set, this version being a “Double Y” one. This could also reduce the value of Danny Amendola as a slot receiver because of the versatility of this kind of offense. Why take Gronk or Bennett off the field?
There’s plenty to play out in the next five months, but for now the Patriots offense looks ready for a new and different twist that should give NFL defenses a ton of problems.
