Benjamin Watson suspension has silver lining, says former NFL exec

While Benjamin Watson’s four-game suspension definitely stings, there could be a small silver lining to the situation… says former NFL executive.

Any way you slice it, the New England Patriots losing their presumptive starter at tight end for the first quarter of the season stinks. It just plain stinks.

Only just beginning to process and accept the sudden departure of franchise legend Rob Gronkowski, Pats fans now have to contend with the bleak realization that the man most likely designated to help replace Gronkowski is going to be M.I.A. for four games. According to Watson himself, the veteran tight end will likely miss those games while serving a suspension for a failed drug test from back in March.

While no one player was ever going to fully replace Gronk’s production and the threat he imposed in opposing defenses, Watson at least represented a trusty option with good hands and an existing rapport and level of chemistry with Tom Brady. Now the team is back to the drawing board at the tight end position, with Austin Seferian-Jenkins still a relative unknown and not a lot of other “names” behind him on the current depth chart.

Those looking for a bright bit of good news in all this mess should have tuned into ESPN’s “SportsCenter” earlier this week. During a televised segment on the show, former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum spoke about the silver lining that could come with Watson’s suspension if you’re a Patriots fan:

“Obviously that was bad news with the four-game suspension, but what it does for New England is give them roster flexibility,” Tannenbaum opined. “He won’t be on the roster on opening day, and therefore as a veteran, his contract won’t be guaranteed. They only gave him $600,000 in up-front money, so between now and the fifth game of the regular season, if another opportunity presents itself, they could simply move on from Watson and not reinstate him.”

Tannenbaum was the general manager of the New York Jets and the Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins, so he’s clearly looking at the situation through a financial lens. While no longer an active NFL executive, it’s interesting that he decided to shed some light on this particular conundrum as it relates to the Patriots, given his ties to not just one but two of New England’s biggest rivals in the division.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss also elaborated more on some of the more positive aspects to the suspension with regards to developing other players on the Patriots’ roster, as Watson will no longer count against New England’s initial 53-man roster due to the suspension. The Pats can now “keep a player they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to” and see if he develops into a legitimate starter or practice squad candidate.

None of this is necessarily “good news” or even palpable relief, and you’d better believe that Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels, Bill Belichick, and the rest of the Patriots staff and players would rather just have a healthy, active Watson on their roster come Week 1 of the new NFL season.

Still, it’s important in times such as these to find silver linings where you can – even if they come from unexpected sources like Tannenbaum.