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Tight Ends

Franchise Tagging: The Tight Endage Report from Clazzy Clare 

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(AP Photo/Stew Milne)

The significant amount of tight end talent that hit free agency was eye-watering and rather bittersweet if you are a tight end enthusiast whose team isn’t going to target tight endage in free agency. But that’s okay, Hunter Henry is special enough for me.

But I digress. With the franchise tag of David Njoku, the Browns are set to put down just over $10 million for him in 2022, so there’s one off the list. 

But the total available tight endage is still significant with some epic strength and ability. Did someone say Rob Gronkowski?

Now, Rob may be utilising the gymnasium equipment at the Tampa Bay facility, but he is still currently set to be a free agent. Not only that, there is a second name belonging to the Bucs on the list in O.J Howard, and the Bucs saved their franchise tag for wide receiver Chris Godwin, whilst a lot are wondering who will be throwing to him… 

Tampa Bay aren’t the only team that may need to double dip when it comes to drafting or signing some nice tight endage. 

The Tennessee Titans let their two tight ends hit free agency in Anthony Frisker and Geoff Swaim, as well as the Miami Dolphins Durham Smythe and for a time their elite guy, Mike Gesicki was atop of the free agency tight end list until he was tagged yesterday. The Colts are two guys down also with Jack Doyle announcing his retirement, and Mo Alie-Cox a free agent as I write this. 

As the list goes on, obviously the teams with available spots do too. Very familiar household tight end names such as Schultz from the Cowboys, Ertz from the Cardinals and Engram from the Giants were all in the mix. Poor Kyle Pitts may end up being THE Atlanta offense, but that’s a different topic entirely. 

Surprising to some, the Cowboys tagged a favourite target of Dak Prescott in Dalton Schultz. With just under an $11 million hit on the cap, I can see why many were surprised, not only that but the Cowboys are presently well over the relevant cap limit for this year. Some renegotiating of current players deals will probably sort all that out, and when you have a decent quarterback to work around, you do the best you can to keep his top talent within reach. 

Most of this is much of a muchness if you’re a Patriots fan of course. With the price tags on Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith last year, you wouldn’t think Coach Bill is interested. However, this list, and available spots, could have a reverse impact on the Patriots. 

I’m one of those people who wasn’t all in on Jonnu Smith, but has no issue with him remaining in New England, and increasing his production in year two. 

Some fans would be happy to trade him away, there’s always the fact that his lacklustre 2021 stats might not make him a great sell, but you never know. 

The possibility of something else intrigues me much more than the slim possibility of Smith not being a Patriot for the 2022 season, and that is Devin Asiasi. 

If you’re interested in my work, you will have seen/heard/read my pondering over this tight end for, well, two years now. Multiple reasons have eaten into why we haven’t seen much out of Asiasi, but at the end of the day, on paper he is a young tight end, would go for quite cheap money, and may still be developing, so easily fittable into the right program… possibly?

Another name of a tight end Patriots fans haven’t heard much of when it comes to games, is Dalton Keene. A bit more of a H-back kind of versatile guy, he may hold a skill set the Patriots could need in a couple of years, but by then he will be working towards the end of his rookie draft deal, and didn’t really play within his first two with the team. August 2021 saw him under go season ending surgery to repair a meniscus injury and so, like Asiasi, 2022 may be show or go time. 

And so, with the franchise tag window closed, the clock ticks down to the legal tampering period, free agency, the draft, and all that jazz. We await the outcome of where these guys may end up. Okay… just me then?

Stay tuned for more tight end reporting as I keep an eye on free agency availability and collate my combine notes!

The Browns came to town and the Pats shut them down!

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Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

As the Patriots notch up their second home win of the season against the Cleveland Browns, they move to the nail-biting 6 – 4 for week ten.

This morning (this afternoon, this evening, whenever you take the time to read this) Patriots fans are happy bunnies, of course! And I’m not known for my negativity, so you probably won’t find much in this recap today.

However, I did want to point out one thing, fortunately, it didn’t really impact the outcome of the win for the Patriots, but they still notched up six penalties at home. Pretty much the average for a game so far this season. 

Okay, I think that brings a healthy balance of negatives so lets move it right along to the positives shall we folks?

Seriously, I’m almost lost as to where to start!

The Patriots defense against the run did have a little shaky start but they adjusted to what the Browns wanted to do and shut them down. Then the Patriots offense bullied their way through. 

The good played great: Christian Barmore with constant pressure up the middle, forcing a number of errant passes, Jakob Johnson blocking like a darn wrecking ball, and Matt Judon, well, being Matt Judon! These names make my recap every single week, and to that point I apologise for being repetitive, but these guys deserve to be mentioned every darn week!  

Kyle Dugger showed up and owned up this week being second on the defensive plays list with 5 tackles, 1 assist and an interception. Only to be bettered by Ja’Whaun Bentley with 6 tackles and 1 assist on the board. 

The ‘old guys’, and I say that very tongue-in-cheek folks, played great. Kyle Van Noy, Devin McCourty and Dont’a Hightower showed us why old guys rule baby! If only Devin could have made that one handed catch for the interception early in the first quarter, the Browns might not have even racked up a touchdown! 45 -7 is great, 45 – 0, oh my!

N’Keal Harry is a slightly controversial topic in Patriots Nation, but he brought something to the game Sunday and may be making his mark as a very effective wide receiver blocker. Going into this match-up the name Myles Garrett was the one people were most concerned about, and well, Harry said “yeah, not in my house” and he shut that guy down!

Mike Onwenu looked to be an absent with the return and line up of Trent Brown but oh no, Belichick wouldn’t take out one of his best offensive linemen. Onwenu lined up as an eligible tight end and blocked the heck out of the Browns defense. I knew I liked that guy…

The Mac-attack had himself an awesome game, throwing the ball deep to prove there was a new gunslinger in town, and his name was McCorkle Jones. That’s Michael McCorkle Jones to you Cleveland.

I know I mention tight ends a plenty, but in my own defense, this year is a bit of a year for it on the Patriots. So, whilst keeping my excitement in check, I will simply touch upon the fact that Hunter Henry had four fabulous receptions, (they were all great catches so can easily be classed as fabulous). Of those 4 receptions, 50% were touchdowns, and 100% of his targets he caught. Just sayin’…

Finally, I can report Jakobi Meyers had his first receiving touchdown and it was thrown by Brian Hoyer. Not perfect, but you know what, I think the whole of Patriots Nation will take it. Pretty much the whole Patriots team celebrated it with him in the end zone. 

And even though at this point in time I haven’t seen which players were given the game ball, mine would go to Rhamondre Stevenson. Not only did he have 4 receptions from 4 targets and 37 yards, but the kid had 20 rushing attempts for 100 yards and a total of 2 touchdowns. But, the numbers aren’t what did it for me, it was watching this guy play. Powerful, masterful and impressive! He ran through gaps that were made well by the Patriots o-line and also a few that didn’t even seem to be there! And as I can’t roll my r’s, I’ll stick with chanting STEVENSON thank you very much.

Go Pats!

Behold: National Tight Ends Day!

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Mark Konezny USA TODAY Sports

The tight endage cometh, and boy oh boy, does it!

Okay, so I guess I should hold my horses there a little, with the seventh game on the horizon the Patriots are 2-4 with just 4 tight end touchdowns. Well, to be fair, that’s more than 2019 and 2020 put together… Oof!

And so, on this day of National Tight Ends celebration, I thought I would plot the path 2021 has seen of its tight endage. 

Cast your mind back to earlier this year. The Patriots had Ryan Izzo, Matt LaCosse, Devin Asiasi, and Dalton Keene as rostered tight ends. Then they signed Jonnu Smith, and Patriots Nation rejoiced – some tight end production was in our future! Two rookies going into their second year, one could argue it may be a little bit more like their first, due to a lot of covid restrictions and injuries, but still. 

What was next? Hunter Henry, baby! Coach Bill surprised many, and scooped up the guy he had been following since his college days, and we were soon to see why!

During the spring practices, training camps and such, we saw the likes of Troy Fumagalli, a decent tight end from Denver who always seemed to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when it came to position depth, and although some good showing, Fumagalli unfortunately suffered an injury, and failed to make the roster.  David Wells, previously of the Kansas City Chiefs, danced around in New England in 2020, and was back again for another spin around the floor in 2021, but it didn’t quite stick. 

Ryan Izzo was shipped off to Houston for a seventh round 2022 draft pick, and the whole of Patriots Nation cried… okay, okay, I cried, just me.  

Matt LaCosse found his way onto the practice squad, and with the way players who sat out of the 2020 season had been given the chop, at least he got to stay in New England. Where, to be fair, he had a rather good spring camp, possibly what secured his spot with the Patriots still.

So, the roster cup still floweth over with tight endage, two rookies and two free agency signed veterans. 

Unfortunately, Dalton Keene suffered more injury setbacks and started training camp on the PUP list only to undergo season-ending knee surgery. His return in 2022 could see Keene with a fight on his hands, a very unfortunate situation, but he really hasn’t shown much, or had much chance to, and either way, we won’t be seeing him as a Patriot for 2021. 

And then there were three to run those two tight end packages. Could I be any more excited (yes you need to hear that in the tone of Chandler Bing from Friends).

And this is where excitement has moved to puzzlement for many Patriots fans. 

Devin Asiasi has not played a regular season game in 2021. He has continued to be on the inactive list for every game. A healthy scratch most would say, but is there something we just don’t know? 

Are Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith just more tight endage than the Patriots need?

The fact that the combined receptions and yardage matches 2019’s tight end figures, and exceeds 2020’s already, and they have only played six games does say a lot, and not just about the tight ends, but the quarterback too. Makes 2021 the year of tight endage an easier sell, huh?

Okay, I’m being a little presumptuous with my glass 99% full again, but it’s National Tight Ends Day, and I like tight ends and I can not lie – I’m sure there’s a t-shirt with that on it somewhere…

Much love to you all for National Tight Ends Day!

I Like Tight Ends Short Sleeve Unisex T-Shirt
Tight Endage!! Unisex T-Shirt