Patriots: 3 star tight ends NE can sign in free agency

Here are three game-changing tight ends the Patriots can sign this offseason.

The New England Patriots will have a laundry list of objectives to complete this offseason as it pertains to upgrading their roster, with finding a new quarterback assuredly sitting on top after they reportedly agreed to end their relationship with Cam Newton, who really struggled to find his footing after a promising start to the campaign.

What contributed to Newton’s demise, other than his seemingly compromised shoulder, was the Patriots’ lack of firepower at the wide receiver and tight end positions, which comprised one of the least productive pass-catching units in the entire NFL.

Luckily for the Patriots, they will have ample salary cap space — the fourth-most in the league at $58.67 million, according to Spotrac — to address those crippling issues. As far as the tight end position is concerned, we would personally endorse a trade for Zach Ertz, who’s seeking a fresh extension and potentially a new home after the Eagles embarrassed themselves on national television in their regular season finale. He also might simply be cut in the coming weeks.

If that doesn’t end up working out, however, the free agent market surprisingly flaunts some intriguing options at the tight end position. With that in mind, let’s attempt to highlight three players the Patriots should seriously consider signing on the open market.

3. Robert Tonyan

Packers TE Robert Tonyan proved to be one of Aaron Rogers’ favorite weapons.

The likes of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams nabbed most of the headlines for the Green Bay Packers’ success this season, and rightfully so, as they connected for a whopping 18 touchdowns, but tight end Robert Tonyan was quietly one of the most important pieces of their offense, especially in the red zone.

After playing a combined 12% of the offensive snaps over the first two seasons of his career, Tonyan burst onto the scene as one of the most consistent tight ends in the NFL in 2020. The former undrafted talent won the starting job out of training camp and literally didn’t look back, logging 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns (!), which was tied for the league lead at the TE position.

Not only that, but Tonyan recorded a ridiculous 88.1% catch rate, which ranked first among pass catchers with at least 50 catches. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising that Rodgers boasted a 147.6 passer rating when throwing his direction, but that also shouldn’t take away from the sheer spectacle of that number.

At 26 years old, Tonyan is just entering the prime of his career and his breakout campaign should earn him a significant pay day in restricted free agency. Assuming the Packers make it a priority to re-sign him, the Patriots will have to be both aggressive and generous to beat them to the punch. With cap space no longer holding them back, they really have no excuse not to offer him a contract.

2. Jonnu Smith

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has long been an admirer of Jonnu Smith.

Jonnu Smith might not fall under the “star” category for some Patriots fans, but he is undoubtedly teetering on the precipice after showing improvements from a statistical perspective in each of his first four seasons in the league.

During this past regular season (15 games), Smith registered 41 receptions for 448 yards and eight touchdowns, the latter of which ranked fifth among qualified tight ends and impressively finished second only to AJ Brown on the Titans, a team filled to the brim with weapons.

What makes him such a realistic target for the Patriots, other than his red zone prowess, is the fact that head coach Bill Belichick has consistently spoken highly of him throughout his career. It’s an extreme rarity that Belichick gushes over a player from another team on multiple occasions, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the front office closely monitors Smith’s market this offseason.

By definition, the FIU product hasn’t been consistent as far as padding the stat sheet on a weekly basis, but that simply boils down to the fact that he’s often an afterthought of Tennessee’s loaded offense. On many occasions, he finds himself fourth in the pecking order in terms of touches, behind the likes of Derrick Henry, AJ Brown and Corey Davis.

That could all change if the Patriots were to sign him in free agency and make him one of the focal points of their aerial attack. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Smith is a matchup nightmare for both cornerbacks and linebackers, and we have no reservations about him flourishing in a featured role.

1. Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry continues to be one of the most overlooked tight ends in the NFL, and a prime free agent opportunity for the Patriots.

We would honestly have no qualms if the Patriots signed either one of Hunter Henry or Smith, so don’t read too much into where they ranked on our list. However, what did give the former a slight edge in the debate lies in the fact that Pro Football Focus has him graded as the better blocker throughout his career.

We all know how much the Patriots champion tight ends being able to handle their business both catching passes and in the trenches, so Henry really comes to mind as a perfect fit — not to mention that Belichick admitted earlier in the year to keeping a close eye on him from his days at Arkansas.

"“I’ve watched him pretty much his whole career,” Belichick told reporters ahead of the Patriots’ Week 13 matchup vs the Chargers.” He started at Pulaski Academy down in Little Rock, played for Coach (Kevin) Kelly down there. He had a great career there, went to Arkansas and had a great career at Arkansas He’s come back off the injury and has been a very, very productive player for them, along with all their other good skill players. But, he’s done a good job for them in a running game, as well as the passing game."

If that quote doesn’t convince you that Henry should be the Patriots’ priority at tight end this offseason, then nothing will. Over his first four seasons (he missed 2018 with a torn ACL), the former second-round pick has averaged 49 receptions for 580 yards and 5.2 touchdowns, to go with a respectable 69% catch rate. His stats might not indicate it, but he’s as sure-handed as any tight end in the league, and the Patriots would reap the benefits of signing him in short order.

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