Clazzy Clare celebrates National TE Day by answering viewers questions on possibly her favourite topic, ever!
Tight Ends
Spotlight on touchdown scorer Pharaoh Brown
So, I bet you are wondering who it was who scored that touchdown for the Patriots.
Well Patriots Nation, it was six foot five (or six, dependent upon whose numbers you like best) 246 pounds of, so we have been led to believe, blocking tight end Pharaoh Brown.
Now, I know that when number 86 was running, perhaps a little more like a giraffe than a gazelle, up the field there were a few “eh?” looks on your faces, and to that end (hee hee, see what I did there?) I shall attempt to give you a little background on the top touchdown scoring offensive player for the Patriots against the New Jersey Jets.
Brown was originally signed out of Oregon as an undrafted free agent in 2017 by the then Oakland Raiders. In the six years he has been in the NFL, Brown has suited up for the Houston Texans and the Cleveland Browns in 55 regular season games. Brown has had 36 starts and 51 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns, as well as being signed but not played for the Colts. And on Sunday, Brown added a further 71 yards on 2 receptions and a touchdown for the Patriots!
A blocker by everyone’s note, it was probably scheme over route running ability that had Brown running for that touchdown. I mean, as soon as I saw the running style I knew who it was. Brown may not have the fluidity of Mike Gesicki, or the poise of Hunter Henry, but heck he didn’t move bad for a big guy!
For those who like to keep a check, Brown was signed to the Patriots practice squad August 30th 2023, and was elevated to the 53 man roster September 4th 2023. I don’t even think we can attribute the success of Brown in the Bill O’Brien offense to the Houston overlap of Brown and O’Brien as it would have been a really small one, back in 2020.
But here we are, with a Bill O’Brien offense that holds, not one, not two, but three, yes folks, three tight ends. I’ll tell you what, the Patriots might have had a slow start to the season but if my future as a Pats fan is Gesicki, Hunter and now Brown, someone is gonna need to douse me with some cold water! Phew that’s a lot of tight endage potential!
Go Pats!
What is happening at the Tight End, end of the Patriots roster!
Okay you lovely lot, so, with the signing of the tight end Anthony Firkser and the lack of the Patriots drafting any tight endage I thought it was prime time to have a bit of a deep dive and get us all up to date with what we are looking at, at the tight end, end of the Patriots roster.
The Patriots managed to send Jonnu Smith to Atlanta for a 7th round draft pick in 2023, number 245, which the Patriots in turn used for the corner back Isaiah Bolden. Smith is an athletic tight end who just didn’t fit into the Patriots system for one reason or another. Over the course of two years in New England he played 30 games with a total of 83 targets, 20 carries and 1 touchdown.
The second signing the Patriots made during that 2021 free agency season was Hunter Henry from the LA Chargers. A bit of an injury history plagued Hunter, but his first season with the Patriots was a productive one and his connection with rookie quarterback Mac Jones clearly evident. Playing 17 games Hunter was targeted 75 times for 9 touchdowns. Unfortunately, with the way the Patriots offence was run in 2022, Hunter wasn’t utilised as much with just 59 targets for 2 touchdowns.
Predominantly through the 2022 season the Patriots practice squad held the bodies of Matt Sokol and Scotty Washington.
Washington was picked up by the Patriots in September 2022 after being released from Cincinnati and only played a single game. Ironically his debut was against the Bengals in week 16 after which he was placed on the practice squad injury reserve.
The pick up of undrafted rookie Johnny Lumpkin out of Louisiana may mean Washington isn’t even headed back to the practice squad in Gillette, but time will tell. A long limbed tight end with good blocking ability and a reasonable nimbleness for his 6’6” size, Lumpkin is definitely a potential for the practice squad and even a future roster spot if he develops well.
Matt Sokol made a little bit more of an impact than Washington. Spending most of his time on the practice squad, Sokol was elevated for three games during the 2022 regular season. His blocking abilities were leaned upon against the Lions week 5, the Dolphins week 17 and the Bills week 18.
An undrafted rookie in 2019 Sokol has bounced around more practice squads than I have Patriots apparel. Starting his career with the LA Chargers, Sokol hopped on and off their practice squad until he headed to Detroit. After a small stint there, he headed back to LA and played 2 games before shipping off to Jacksonville. With a small detour back to Detroit, Matt found his place in New England in November 2022. Definitely a candidate for the 2023 practice squad but this traveller could just as easily be heading to another location.
Now, you all know about the signing of Mike Gesicki and I KNOW you know how excited I am to see him in a Patriots uniform, the season simply cannot come quick enough for me!
An athletic tight end, Gesicki uses his length well, and at 6’6” he definitely has plenty! The change in coaching staff at Miami, and the incoming of some excellent receivers saw Gesicki’s usage on the Dolphins take a slide, and I for one couldn’t be happier. A great deep threat with YAC abilities, Gesicki has the height and athletic ability to win contested catches, and I predict him dominating the end zone for New England. (Check out episode 65 of A Clare Perspective, a Patriots podcast for a particular sandwich bet I have with my lovely assistant on this.)
Finally, the most recent signing, the aforementioned Anthony Firkser. And whilst I can’t seem to pronounce Firkser very well, this signing has given me a little fizzle of interest!
Firkser has been in the NFL for five seasons, playing four for the Titans and the 2022 season for the Atlanta Falcons. His career stats come in at 69 games played, 115 receptions, 1207 yards and 5 touchdowns.
At 28, this 6 foot 2, 241 pound tight end also has the ability to play fullback which is a position the Patriots may not utilise under Bill O’Brien, but didn’t even have the option to, prior to the signing. So, this may be that blocking, TE3!
So there you have it folks, my tight end wrap up! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and have a fabulous holiday weekend too!
Draft Prospects: Tight End
This year the wide receiver depth seems a lot less than the previous few years. Just a couple of guys projected to go in the first round, however, as you are probably aware the one skill position that seems to have depth, the best in a decade in fact, is the tight end one. It really is a serious, athletic filled, draft class this year.
You lovely lot didn’t actually think there was going to be a draft with so many tight ends, and I wasn’t going to cover it?!? Don’t worry, I’m just going to give you a little taste of what there is because I know you aren’t all quite as enthusiastic as I am. But there are some (maybe!) later round tight ends that the Patriots might target to fill the cupboard for the future.
Generally, first round tight ends haven’t worked out quite to the expected level. The most recent one is Kyle Pitts, selected fourth overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Now, I fully appreciate he has talent and athletic ability but he didn’t catch my eye for some reason and he hasn’t quite performed to what was expected from those that championed him.
Thus, many Patriots fans are rather against that first round selection for a tight end, and that’s fully understandable. Even I, a tight end enthusiast, is swaying towards a later round kinda guy. For me the top need is tackle, tackle, tackle, oh and a large cornerback too! Besides, how can I judge when I am tainted with superstition to not take a wide receiver in the first round, following a certain 2019 first round draft selection, even if it was the 32nd pick.
Anyways, moving along!
Michael Mayer of Notre Dame is my draft crush but deep down I know he won’t be a Patriot. Dalton Kincaid and even Darnell Washington may be a little “too rich”, but with such a cacophony of athleticism, later round selections could still have some serious promise in a position that really is a difficult one to play in this sport today.
With players draft stocks moving up and down, particularly following the combine and pro days and also the team visits, it is becoming increasingly tricky to assess the round in which a guy may go. But, to that end I have selected a few names that may be possibly a little more realistic for the Patriots.
Sam LaPorta is a solid framed, 6’ 3.5” versatile pass catcher with a powerful looking lower body out of Iowa.
Luke Schoonmaker, is a name I am hearing more and more, which worries me as he may become too much in demand for the Patriots! From Michigan, a tall, lean built, inline Y tight end with the room to add weight, Schoonmaker is good in the run game and whilst not necessarily dynamic, he shouldn’t be overlooked as playmaker.
Tucker Kraft of South Dakota State may not be unfamiliar to you either. The surname is a big one in New England, and this 6’ 5” combination tight end has good body skills and acceleration. Clocking up a 7.08 second three cone drill, this big guy is smooth.
Brendon Strange, Penn State’s own, is perhaps more of a developmental player than those mentioned above. A great blocker on the outside, good hands and his sledge work at the combine warranted a nice job in the Clazzy Clare tightendage notebook! Plenty of strengths when it comes to blocking and the run game, Strange has a few problems with drops, his pass catching and route running need sharpening up. A solid 6’ 4” good tight end that would benefit from a year of developmental time behind say two starter veteran tight ends?
Whichever type of tight end takes your fancy, this draft class is almost dripping with them, I just hope the Patriots pick one!
The Patriots slam down on the Cleveland Browns!
Within the first 30 seconds of the game Kyle Dugger with an interception. Yeah baby!
Good morning, afternoon, or evening to you on this Victory Monday as I write this, or whichever day you read this!
So, in case you missed it, the Patriots beat out the Browns at First Energy Stadium 38 to 15.
There’s plenty for me to gush over to you today, but whilst a chunk of points win was something I sort of envisioned, my score prediction was a 30 – 10 Pats win, it wasn’t all perfection from the Patriots.
Firstly, we have the same sentence to write/read in regard to Isaiah Wynn and those darn penalties. Wynn had his usual false start penalty. It’s as weekly as my game recap is folks. Wynn also allowed a sack on Zappe, and when you’re on your third string quarterback, that’s risky business!
The Patriots had 12 penalties against them in this game and predominately they were against Matty P’s offense.
We saw a monumental event, in a field goal miss by Nick Folk. Personally, I think that’s less on Nick and more on the commentator and his curse of “Nick Folk hasn’t missed…”
And to be honest you lovely lot, that’s about it. Sure, Bailey Zappe still has those little rookie trademarks, but again he showed poise. Throwing 24/34 completions, for 309 yards, two tuddies and no interceptions!
Can we just take a moment, to savour the utter deliciousness that was the tight endage in this game. Finally, we saw some movement down there!
Hunter Henry was in for 97% of the game, blocking like a crazy person, having some lovely catches, good ball security when he was taken to the ground, oh yeah and did I mention… A TIGHT END TOUCHDOWN!
Okay, maybe I hit the coffee too hard this morning, probably not, you lot know how much I love me some tight endage.
And whilst I make no secret Hunter is my favourite, Jonnu Smith had himself a great game! We finally got to see his skills baby! The early third quarter catch and run may have been one of my favourites of the game. Follow that with a catch from Hunter, and a touchdown by Tyquan Thornton… hot, hot, hot!
The good stuff doesn’t end there folks.
Rhamondre Stevenson continued his bulldozing ways, Cole Strange is always ready to step in to floor someone if need be, and DeVante Parker took flight on his early first quarter leap and catch, for a 29 yard pick up and a first down, oh! And then there was that hot and high grab in the second quarter!
But wait! I haven’t even mentioned the defense yet! Do I even need to?
Of course I do!
They may have been the stars of the show for the Patriots lately, but they grinded it out on Sunday, and it paid off.
Matthew Judon continues to be a thing of quarterback nightmares, only just beating out Deatrich Wise for the top scary spot of Sackman.
Meanwhile, it’s proving difficult to keep up with the Jones as Jack and Marcus are hungry for interceptions!
Speaking of hungry, Carl Davis had himself a fumble recovery, although he didn’t exactly run that far for the return, it was delicious! Check the tape, the guy couldn’t stop rubbing his tummy.
And finally, I need to mention Brandon Schooler, schooling again with the end over punt recovery!
So there you have it you lovely lot, Patriots victory Monday never tasted so sweet! Until next time… Go Pats!
Clazzy Clare does the Draft: Tight End
Now you know I couldn’t write any draft articles and not tell you all about some of the tight ends for this year.
Whilst I know the Patriots early round picks need to be spent elsewhere, and I’m not in any argument, I want me a cornerback and some offensive line please. But, late round picks, undrafted guys…. I fancy a spot of that.
If you are a team who needs an earlier round tight end, you are going to be hearing names like Trey McBride of Colorado State, a complete tight end who is projected to go early in the third round. Second to him would be Greg Dulcich of UCLA projected to go around 70th, mentioned at the combine by Daniel Jeremiah as his number one tight end. These guys are both quality tight ends, but the Patriots aren’t going to be looking at these boys.
Further down the ranks, moving into the later rounds such as a projected fourth, is one guy I had my eye on, and that is Daniel Bellinger from San Diego State. A traditional Y tight end, a great blocker at 6 foot 5 and 253 pounds with very sure hands. He has been an afterthought in the pass attacks, so has a low yard average.
A fifth round guy that has been on the NFL radar is Jake Ferguson out of Wisconsin. Strong hands and great with the ball, he has limited speed, and whilst he is an experienced line blocker, he may have some difficultly transitioning those skills into the NFL. So a possibility for needing a developmental first year, but hey it was good enough for Jonnu Smith, right?
My favourite tight end who may be feasible for the Patriots is Austin Allen out of Nebraska. His skill set hadn’t been shown in the best light with Nebraska’s offense underperforming in recent years but his combine tests went well.
Really tall at 6’8” (depending on what you read), he performed as a good blocker, had good hands, and great movement for such a tall guy.
Bottom line, I know not many Patriots fans are looking for a tight end right now, and I am totally with you there. But, I do implore you to think about tight ends for the future, and some of these later round guys might just be feasible. The Patriots went through some lean years at tight end, and I feel they need to set up so that they don’t again. Hunter and Smith, yep top guys for a few years. But that doesn’t mean the Patriots should sit on their heels. If Keene and Asiasi don’t pan out, then the back up cupboard, the developmental tight end shelf, is empty baby and you can’t have that!
Free Agency: The Tight Endage Report – and MUCH more! from Clazzy Clare
Whilst the legal tampering period was opening up, and Patriots Nation’s vision was on where will JC Jackson go (LA Chargers for 5 years at $82.5 million, with around $40 million guaranteed) not forgetting the whole, will the Patriots take a top wide receiver, part of my gaze was focused on what was happening in the tight end rooms.
And, I was rather interested to find many of the top free agent tight ends were re-signed or tagged by their original team. Now, I appreciate you might not be quite as interested as I in this, however, with the depth at the draft this year it may be quite significant that so many teams have stayed with their existing tight ends, even the rather cap strapped Dallas Cowboys tagged Dalton Schultz, but to be fair he is quite good, but I digress.
We all know that the tight end position is one of the tougher ones in the NFL to play, and to develop within. It is utilised in pretty much all the range of offensive plays, meaning the plate of those big 6 foot 4-5-6 guys can get rather full.
So, a quick league wide recap of who has gone and where in the tight end market:
Arizona maintained Zach Ertz for a further 3 years at $31.65 million. The Browns franchise tagged David Njoku, as did the Dolphins with Mike Gesicki. The Colts lost their long time tight end to retirement, and so the maintaining of Mo Alie-Cox on a 3 year $18 million deal wasn’t too surprising. They may have traded away their top quarterback, but the Seahawks kept Will Dissly on a 3 year $24 million deal. There was some tight endage shuffle as the aforementioned Seahawks obtained Noah Fant in one of the biggest trades the NFL has seen for a while. Evan Engram hopped over from New York (Giants) to Jacksonville on a 1 year $9 million deal and the other New York team, the Jets, pulled C.J Uzomah from Cincinnati on a 3 year $24 million deal.
Okay, so now I have done my public service in making sure you lovely Patriots fans are aware what has gone on in the world of tight endage, I am here to update you on the rest! Just call me Miss Unliiiiiiimited…
Moving swiftly on!
Unfortunately, it is with a heavy heart that I write Steady Teddy, Ted Karras, has gotten paid and is on route to Cincinnati on a 3 year $18 million deal. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am happy when a great player gets paid, but when it’s at the possible sacrifice of the offensive line, I’m sorry I can’t really be THAT happy.
The possibly, most obvious move, and perhaps the most hated by many Patriots fans so far this season, is the jetting off of cornerback JC Jackson to sunnier climates. The LA Chargers scooped him up on a long deal of 5 years at $82.5 million.
The Patriots did some quiet maintaining whilst big name wide receivers were moving around, some were having money practically thrown at them, in particular Jacksonville giving Christian Kirk a $72 million, possibly up to $84 million, 4 year deal, but as of yet the Patriots only receiver action was a second round restricted free agent tender on Jakobi Meyers.
The Patriots quarterback room maintains some stability with Brian Hoyer on a 2 year $4 million deal, as New England retains three fan favourites, and some grounding the team needs (in my humble opinion) during this rebuild, of Devin McCourty for 1 year at $9 million, Matthew Slater on a 1 year $2.6 million deal, and (thank goodness!) Nick Folk for 2 years at $5 million. James Ferentz has reportedly signed a contract with the Patriots but the terms have not yet been announced.
So there you have it you lovely lot, free agency frenzy so far… and it’s only Tuesday morning!