Patriots: Rumored interest in Delanie Walker couldn’t be more fitting
The Patriots are rumored to be interested in former Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker.
At the moment, the New England Patriots do not have a starting tight end after veteran Matt LaCosse opted out of the 2020 season a few days ago. That leaves Bill Belichick with rookies Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi, both of whom likely have ways to go before snagging a starting job in the NFL.
So when you consider the Patriots’ rumored interest in former Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker, everything starts to make a bit more sense. Cam Newton loves utilizing the tight end, and having a rookie as the primary option might not be the best decision.
The three-time Pro Bowler has played in just eight games the last two years due to injuries, making this the perfect free agent for Belichick to sign to a team-friendly deal.
Free agent TE Delanie Walker, 35, is training for the season and has received levels of interest from several teams, including the Patriots, per source. Had four straight 800-plus-yard seasons from 2014-17.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 3, 2020
He’s already done that with Newton, so negotiations with Walker probably wouldn’t be too different, especially at 35 years of age. Yeah, we didn’t realize he was that old either.
But when you look at his numbers, his career really took off in his age-30 season. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark once and went over 800 yards three times during his heyday in Nashville. He was a Pro Bowler from 2015-2017 before falling off the map and even averaged an impressive 72.5 yards per game (a career high) back in 2015.
He won’t be asked of much in New England either. He was very much the go-to target in Tennessee during a majority of his seven years there. Decreasing his role and putting him around a number of playmakers could help revive his career. If he can log over 1,000 receiving yards with Marcus Mariota as his QB and wideouts like Dorial Green-Beckham and Kendall Wright on the outside, just imagine what he could do with Newton, Julian Edelman, etc.
Patriots reportedly showing interest in veteran TE Delanie Walker https://t.co/prHtEgN5qi
— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) August 3, 2020
The Pats need an experienced tight end on the roster. Walker is the best one out there and he could be had at a reasonable price. If he wants to rediscover himself, heading over to Foxborough would probably be in his best interests, since a lot of the players on the Pats’ roster are looking to get revenge in some way in 2020.
