New England Patriots: All aboard the Jacob Hollister hype train

Impressive offseason performances by New England Patriots tight end Jacob Hollister could give him the edge

There isn’t much of a competition when it comes to the New England Patriots starting tight end job. For the foreseeable future, with or without controversy, that role belongs squarely to Rob Gronkowski. However, competition for the team’s second tight end position is heating up between six-year veteran Dwayne Allen and the sophomore Jacob Hollister.

Free agent Troy Niklas was released from the team just three months after his signing, so the tight end competition has closed up a bit. For now – knock on wood – Gronkowski is the only sure bet. That leaves Allen, Hollister, Will Tye, and seventh-round draft pick Ryan Izzo.

Starting from the bottom

Izzo and Tye are both unlikely to crack the final roster. Tye may have earned the nickname “Baby Gates” for a playstyle similar to that of Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, but he has been unable to replicate Gates’ success to this point. Tye was a practice squad body before, and he’ll likely be a practice squad body in the future.

Izzo’s future with the Patriots is just as bleak as Tye’s. The seventh-round pick out of Florida State just has too much competition for a role on the final roster, and while he could learn a few things from the other tight ends on the team, it just seems unlikely at this point. It’s not uncommon for late-round picks to never see action.

Weighing potential against performance

The battle between Allen and Hollister will be much more interesting. On one hand, Allen is the more experienced player. While he’s never been a true number-one in the position, he’s seen bursts of excellence.

Unfortunately, Allen’s career has also been plagued with injury and – more recently – spotty abilities as a receiver. Allen’s true contribution to the team comes in the blocking game, where he excels. However, Allen’s contract is pricey and many have wondered if his talents are worth a $5-million price tag. As it stands, the Patriots would take a cap hit of $0 if they cut him this year. Allen knows he’ll have to work hard to bounce back from last year’s disappointing performance.

"“I think coming into this year there are different expectations and understanding what is expected of me. How to come to work and how to take care of my body. I’m hoping for different results and so far, it’s happening.”"

Allen’s upsides appear to balance out his downsides. His strong blocking ability and veteran knowledge of the game have been useful, but paying so much for a tight end who apparently can’t catch leaves us feeling iffy on him.

All aboard the Hollister hype train

Hollister excelled during last year’s preseason games, winning the third spot in the tight end lineup over James O’Shaughnessy. Through three preseason games, he reeled in 12 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. He saw limited regular season action, bringing in four catches on 11 targets for a total of 42 yards. Nothing spectacular, but enough to keep him on standby.

He’s still got a lot to learn, but throughout this year’s offseason activities, Hollister’s receiving abilities have shown a second-year leap in skill. Better yet, he’s apparently managed to wiggle his way into Tom Brady’s “circle of trust”, according to Pats Pulpit writer Bernd Buchmasser.

"“Not only has [Hollister] been on the receiving end of multiple of Brady’s pass attempts over the first four training camp days, he also has routinely worked alongside the greatest of all time during his side sessions.”"

Any time spent taking reps from Brady will undoubtedly help Hollister develop his play. By establishing that trust with Brady – something Allen was never able to do – Hollister has made himself a likely candidate for the number-two tight end spot behind Gronkowski. Gronkowski seems high on Hollister’s potential as well, telling reporters.

"“Great dude. Knows the plays well, great player, and he likes to learn and get better. He wants to be a player that’s reliable, and it’s great to see him learning.”"

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has also offered some praise to Hollister’s progression.

"“Jacob improved a lot last year and he’s gotten off to a good start this year, from the offseason program to our spring workouts, start of training camp. Still has a long way to go, there’s a lot of football in front of him.”"

There seems to be a common thread – an argument in Hollister’s favor, if anything – throughout training camp. With an enticing skill set, he may be able to help fill the receiving void while Julian Edelman serves his four-game suspension.

Final verdict

We’ll have to wait and see how preseason shakes out, but I like Hollister’s odds on taking the number-two spot this year. Allen is good for blocking and, well, that’s about it. Hollister may be the lighter tight end and less skilled with blocking, but if his offseason improvements can translate into game time, I think he’ll end up being more useful (as well as cheaper) than Allen. Only time will tell, but I’m leaning toward Hollister’s second-year leap moving him up in the ranks.