As roster cuts are underway and teams are preparing to finalize their 53-man team for the 2025 season, the Patriots are inevitably going to look at those who are hitting the free agent market to see if anyone can boost their team further. They have a few vulnerable positions to focus on, as many lack depth, and the offense could become the focus.
Besides the help needed on the offensive line, there have also been some concerns regarding the tight end room. The Patriots are projected to keep just two on the team: Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. While they're both seasoned veterans who have been productive in their tenures, there is reason to suggest they should have at least one more player in the tight end room.
That could lead them to sign one of the newly made free agents, and one who has already been released has sparked interest among Patriots analysts and fans.
They are unfortunately familiar with him, due to their blowout loss to the Giants in the preseason finale last week. But because Greg Dulcich played so well against them, they might want to consider him as their TE3 for the upcoming season.
The Patriots' backups couldn't handle Dulcich. Perhaps an option as a 3rd tight end, especially considering no one emerged this summer. https://t.co/zWfFhkwpUB
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) August 26, 2025
The first intriguing tight end option for the Patriots 2025 roster has now hit free agency
The expectation since the Patriots announced they were re-signing Hooper was that he and Henry would be the 1-2 punch from the tight end room. But there was reason to believe they would keep around a young player behind them, maybe even last year's draft pick Jaheim Bell.
Clearly, that's not the option now, since the team already released him ahead of cut-down day. So instead, they could consider someone like Dulcich, a 25-year-old who hasn't had the most productive or exciting career thus far.
He was drafted by the Broncos in the third round of the 2022 draft and spent time between Denver and New York with the Giants last season, with more time off the field than on it. Dulcich hasn't done much since his rookie season, when he recorded 33 receptions for 411 yards and two touchdowns. But his performance last week against the Patriots' backups certainly put him on their radar.
In that game, he was a weapon for the Giants' offense, totaling 4/4 receptions for 26 yards and two touchdowns. It might not be the most impressive stat line ever seen, but he showed some exciting play that could be interesting to add to the Patriots' offense.
Dulcich, at the very least, should be on the Patriots' shortlist of tight ends to add if they want to expand the roster. It would be wise to do so, in case anything happens to Henry and/or Hooper, and so far, the former Giants tight end looks like a promising candidate.