New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper had positive reviews of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, as the two are set to unite once again.
Hooper played under Van Pelt from 2020-2022 in Cleveland. He recorded 84 catches for 780 yards and seven touchdowns during his time with the Browns.
Now, he will be looking to help add depth to a Patriots’ tight end room that is headlined by Hunter Henry.
“Really smart guy. Good energy in the building. That’s a huge part of it,” said Hooper, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Most people just think of the three hours you see on Sunday, but there’s many more hours throughout the week where you’re spending a lot of time together, and it makes work so much better when you enjoy the people you work with. His style, his approach, his offense, his understanding of his personnel, and who he is as a man and coach, it’s going to make it really fun to be in the building every day.”
Patriots TE Austin Hooper on reconnecting with OC Alex Van Pelt, whom he played under in Cleveland (2020-2021): “Really smart guy. Good energy in the building. That’s a huge part of it. Most people just think of the three hours you see on Sunday, but there’s many more hours… pic.twitter.com/hDkEwqU0rD
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) March 21, 2024
Cooper signed a one-year contract with New England after the departure of Mike Gesicki.
It will be interesting to see how the tight end fits in the offense. Familiarity with the way Van Pelt runs things will be important, especially if New England drafts a rookie quarterback.
Having veteran familiarity could go a long way in the quarterback’s development process.