Nine months ago, Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement from the National Football League. After a full season, the New England Patriots have yet to find a replacement for the all-world tight end.
Before he officially made the announcement, the Patriots were reportedly in talks with Jared Cook. Without full knowledge of what Rob Gronkowski would decide, they were unable to come to an agreement with the veteran tight end. Cook would go on to sign with the New Orleans Saints and finish the season with 43 receptions, 705 yards, and nine touchdowns. Those numbers dwarfed the production by all Patriots tight ends.
In 2019, the tight end group of Matt Lacosse, Ben Watson and Ryan Izzo totaled 36 catches, 418 yards, and two touchdowns. In terms of production from the tight end position, those numbers were good for 32nd in receptions, 30th in yards and 32nd in touchdowns among NFL teams. Even after a full season in New England as the team’s top tight ends, LaCosse and Izzo still don’t have recognizable names.
Post-Gronk’s retirement, New England had some hope to fill the void with former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, New York Jet, and Jacksonville Jaguar Austin Seferian-Jenkins. On the field, the 6-foot-5 tight end could’ve been a worthy replacement in the passing game. However, ASJ decided he was stepping away from football for personal reasons before training camp.
The Patriots still had tight end Jacob Hollister, who made some small contributions between injuries. In his two seasons, the Wyoming product brought in eight receptions for 94 yards in New England. Hollister was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a seventh-round pick in April. He went on to record 349 yards and three touchdowns on 41 receptions this year with Seattle. It’s easy to wonder why Bill Belichick shipped off Hollister, with their tight end position in such a tenuous place.
LaCosse, who was signed prior to Gronkowski’s decision, likely would’ve been the second or third option where he would’ve been a rotational piece. Instead, he was forced to be the go-to guy at tight end. He ended the season with 131 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 receptions.
Izzo, a seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft, was inactive for a majority of 2019. In his six games, he recorded only six receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown.
T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant, the top-two tight end prospects in this year’s draft were selected prior to the Patriots making a selection. New England decided not to take a tight end at any point in the draft. Instead, they drafted a big-bodied receiver in N’Keal Harry.
Following the draft, the Patriots brought back old friend Ben Watson. Watson was 38 at the time of the signing. Shortly thereafter, we learned that he would miss four weeks after a failed PED test. When he was eligible to return, he wasn’t brought back right away. He was released and then re-signed a week later. However, his addition didn’t prove to be of much importance, as he’d total 173 yards on 17 receptions.
Lance Kendricks was brought to New England in July. He was another veteran who had success in his past stops. With the Patriots, he never caught on and was released after being inactive in Week 1.
Now, the 2020 off-season is almost upon us. We still don’t have any idea who is going to replace the production of Gronkowski. There will be an abundance of talent on the free agent market and in the draft. Tight end should be the top focus this spring. That’s especially the case if Tom Brady returns to give him the best chance for a successful end to his career.
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