Let’s Talk Patriots Tight Ends

With the announcement of Ben Watson’s four-game suspension, Austin Seferian-Jenkins missing in action at the first OTAs of the offseason and Gronk living his post-retirement dreams, the tight end position for the 2019 Patriots is very much up in the air.

Along with Gronk retiring, they traded away the oft-injured Jacob Hollister. Hollister made the team two years in a row and had plenty of spectacular training camp catches but it never panned out on the game field.

I can’t help but lament not hanging on to Dwayne Allen, who signed with Miami. He was never going to be a threat in the passing game really, but he at least gave them a strong NFL-caliber blocker.

Now I’m not sure they can even say that, at least for September. The Patriots are back at tight end ground zero.

Seferian-Jenkins remains a question mark. Usually, guys with his measurables bounce around the league there’s a reason. Perhaps he could be the answer but until I see him on the field it’s tough to expect anything. No question if he can put it together, he’s the most proven NFL talent after Watson.

Matt Lacosse (6’6″ 245) earned a two-year deal with 500K guaranteed after a breakout year with the Broncos. But 24 catches after kicking around the league for a couple years is hardly reason to think Lacosse is going to be a dynamic player in the Patriots offense. He’s got good height and can run routes, but he is what he is.

Stephen Anderson (6’3″, 230 pounds, 36 career catches in two seasons with Texans) is a lighter, off-the-line kind of tight end, an even quicker version of Lacosse. He spent much of last season on the practice squad so he might have a bit of an advantage. The F-TE can be a luxury position to fill and it can be minimized by leaning into three-receiver groupings. At least Lacosse has the height, that’s why he probably keeps Anderson off the roster.

The true dark horses are Ryan Izzo and Andrew Beck, the Patriots’ highest-paid undrafted rookie, as both have a wide open chance to not only make the team, but play a lot out of the gate because they can block.

Beck primarily a blocker at Texas and he’s built more like a fullback but opened eyes with his pro day athleticism. At 6’3″ 260, he’s not the ideal size for NFL Y-TE duties, but he’s big enough. And he can catch a bit too. He’s got an interesting skillset and it will be interesting to see how they use him.

It’s crazy that in a draft class with a number of good tight ends the Patriots didn’t select a single one, making Beck the only rookie one.

Izzo is 6’5″, 256 and has a similarly snarly blocking disposition. He fit right in last training camp before ending the year on injured reserve with a minor injury. With what was essentially a redshirt season, Izzo should be ready to compete for a job. He has ideal size.

Watson will be back in October, and as we’ve seen, giving an older guy the first month of the season off can work out well by keeping him fresh for the playoffs. He should step into a significant role in the offense, but what happens before that is wide open.

Keep an eye on Izzo and Beck.