4 players the Patriots were right to part ways with this offseason

Mike Gesicki

There was a lot of hype surrounding the signing of Mike Gesicki last offseason, with some declaring it as a sneaky good, under-the-radar move by Bill Belichick. The Patriots needed another tight end to pair with Hunter Henry after the Jonnu Smith experiment failed, so bringing in the former Dolphin made sense.

It was clear from the start that, due to his weaker blocking abilities, he would be used primarily as a jumbo receiver rather than an extra body on the offensive line, a role that Henry filled well.

Gesicki was expected to be used frequently in the red zone, where he had historically thrived, but it was evident near the beginning of the season that what we hoped to get out of the tight end wasn't going to happen.

He struggled to fully integrate into the offense, whether due to his own shortcomings, the ineptitude of the Patriots' 2023 offense, or a combination of both. Gesicki didn't become the hot weapon he was hyped up to be and went on to have the worst statistical season of his career outside of his rookie year.

Because things never seemed to click, it made sense for the Patriots to decide not to re-sign the tight end in free agency and look elsewhere to fill the predominately vacant position. Gesicki also seems good with the move, as he is now a member of the Bengals, who continue to be in their "Championship window."