3 underrated moves the New England Patriots made in the 2023 offseason

Mike Gesicki signing

There was a lot of excitement surrounding the signings of free agents Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith during Belichick's spending spree in 2021. It had been years since the Patriots had the potential of two dominant tight ends on the offense, making these two signings more prominent in the fans' minds.

But we know how the story goes in regards to Smith specifically.

After completing a career year with the Titans in 2020, Smith was simply unable to either get adequately acquainted with the Patriots' playbook, which translated onto the field. Or Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia couldn't determine the best way to utilize him within their offensive plans.

Or it could be a combination of both. We'll never truly know since Smith was traded to the Falcons in March.

Even though he wasn't much of a contributor in the two seasons he spent in Foxboro, Smith's absence created an incredible void that needed to be filled immediately. Henry had performed well since he arrived, which was a plus, but his sporadic injuries made it a priority to sign another competent tight end to add to the roster.

That's where Mike Gesicki comes in.

It's unlikely he was who most hoped would become a Patriot, but he was an immediately intriguing signing that didn't get the hype as much as it should have.

Gesicki provides the ability to have two tight ends lined up on the field at one time, something we have all been begging to see on the Patriots' offense again. But he also creates the opportunity to be used as a jumbo receiver, much like what Kansas City does with Travis Kelce.

He's not known for his blocking, which will be left to Henry, but he is a viable red zone threat and a player who can stretch the field, two aspects the offense needed to improve.

And one of the most important reasons this was a good signing? This gives Mac Jones another unique weapon as they hope to have a bounce-back year.

From what has been seen from Gesicki during OTAs and minicamp, his performance has been nothing short of impressive. If he can maintain and build upon that, this underrated signing could become the best of the year.