New England Patriots: 10 X-Factors In 2015

6. Scott Chandler (Tight End)

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The Patriots offense was at its best when they had the tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Gronk is still Gronk but Hernandez will be behind bars for a long time, so New England signed former Bills tight end Scott Chandler this offseason. They have shown they have a lot of faith in Chandler with the recent release of Tim Wright who caught six touchdowns last season. When given the chance to start with the Bills, he showed that he can be an effective pass-catcher and blocker.

His presence in the red zone will have a profound impact on the offense especially in two tight end sets because opposing defenses can’t ignore a big target like Chandler. Even if he doesn’t pad his stat sheet, Chandler is a guy that can really open up the field for the Patriots smaller receivers. He may not be as versatile as Hernandez, but now the Pats have another impact player that can take the offense to the top of the league.

Next: Jonas Gray