When the New England Patriots signed Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith in 2021, they expected to run a two-tight-end offense.
Instead, the Patriots effectively never used Smith, and the pipe dream disappeared.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Patriots have signed Mike Gesicki and brought back Bill O’Brien, the architect for the two tight-end attack.
The Patriots have shown in off-season workouts and minicamps that the Henry/Gesicki duo is in full effect, and fans should be extremely excited.
Mac Jones fed Hunter Henry and especially Mike Gesicki today. Had the two TEs down for 12 total catches in competitive drills. Early returns on the two-TE offense have been positive.
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) June 12, 2023
The duo has been heavily involved in the offense this spring, which is a positive sight because I think they are a perfect complement to one another.
Henry can dominate in the seam and be a go-to guy for Mac Jones in critical spots.
Gesicki can complement Henry with his speed and presence in the red zone. His ability to highpoint the ball in the red zone and be a target is vital for the Patriots' offense.
Gesicki and Henry will make the Patriots' offense the most fun since the Tom Brady era.
#Patriots tight ends Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are extremely involved in the spring as a duo. Gesicki looks really smooth out here. Has great fluidity for his size.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) June 12, 2023
Gesicki also seems like he is easing nicely into the Patriots' offense, which is an improvement from Smith.
If Gesicki can continue to build confidence and string together strong days of practice, it will do wonders for the Patriots.
Mike Gesicki: Smooth transition to New England.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) June 7, 2023
“Coach O’Brien has done a really good job bringing everybody along with him,” he says. “Everybody has bought into how he coaches. He has a lot of energy. The guys are excited to come out here and a lot of that is credited to him.” pic.twitter.com/V84KG3n33I
Patriots fans should be ecstatic about how this duo will be this season and how they will help elevate Jones.
Heading into a crucial third year, Jones can rely on his tight-end duo when it matters most.
Individually, I think Henry and Gesicki could be in for career years, especially Gesicki. I could see Gesicki leading the team in touchdown catches and instantly becoming a fan favorite.
Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how well Henry and Gesicki continue to develop as a duo.