Tag: Mike Gesicki

Bill Belichick likes these particular aspects of Mike Gesicki’s game

The stars may have been aligning for Mike Gesicki and the Patriots for quite some time.

The New England Patriots signed tight end Mike Gesicki to a one-year deal on Friday morning.

It made sense considering coach Bill Belichick has always thought highly of the tight end. The former Penn State product caught 32 passes for 362 yards last season. Those numbers were a bit down from previous years, but he still was able to make an impact in the Miami offense.

He also had a connection with Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. He was recruited to Penn State by O’Brien and remained in Happy Valley when O’Brien left for the Houston Texans.

Belichick has been a big fan of Gesicki’s, praising him profusely in recent years. ESPN’s Mike Reiss recalled what Belichick liked about the tight end in prior conversations with the media.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick has long admired Gesicki, saying in recent years: “He’s a hard guy to cover. Long. Crafty route runner. He can get down the field. Very good hands. Makes some acrobatic catches, has enough quickness to separate. He’s really, I would say, more of a big receiver than a true tight end, but he functions a little bit in that spot.”

Gesicki will have a chance to replace production lost by Jonnu Smith, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.

He will give New England a formidable duo at the tight end position along with Hunter Henry. Bill O’Brien’s offensive system trends toward two high-end sets. In this regard, Gesicki could fit well.

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Former Nittany Lion Nick Scott signs with Bengals

Former Penn State defensive star Nick Scott is on the move in NFL free agency.

NFL free agent and former Nittany Lion [autotag]Nick Scott[/autotag] has signed a contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to his social media.

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Scott in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft. They also had an interest in re-signing Scott, who is coming off a career year with 88 tackles, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 16 starts. Not many players go from a late Day 3 pick, nearly undrafted, to earning a decent payday on a second contract but that is the beauty of the game of football.

Draft capital high or not, it all depends on how you perform on the field.

The Rams paid Scott $2.5 million over four years, but his new deal is for $12 million over the next three years. Not a bad pay upgrade, it will move the mean on the earnings of Penn State alumni with a Labor Relations Degree.

Scott made sense for the Bengals though due to one major factor: They lost both their starting safeties, Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, in free agency. Scott is expected to start alongside a fellow Big Ten player, Daxton Hill, a former Michigan Wolverine.

Scott joins fellow Penn State alumni [autotag]Miles Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] and [autotag]Conner McGovern[/autotag] in signing free-agent deals this offseason. You can find all the free agents heading into the NFL offseason here.

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Former Nittany Lion Mike Gesicki signs with Patriots

Mike Gesicki is reuniting with Bill O’Brien

The New England Patriots have signed former Nittany Lion and Miami Dolphin [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] to a one-year contract worth $9 million, according to ESPN.

Gesicki heads to New England to work opposite Hunter Henry who emerged as a favorite target of quarterback Mac Jones last year.

Gesicki had his role drop significantly under new coach Mike McDaniel. Despite playing in all 17 games, he accounted for only 362 yards receiving and five touchdowns. In five seasons in Miami, he compiled 231 receptions for 2,617 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He had played the 2022 season on the franchise tag before hitting free agency this offseason.

A major reason many suspect he made the move to a division rival is new Patriots offensive coordinator [autotag]Bill O’Brien[/autotag]. Gesicki was recruited to Penn State by O’Brien. When O’Brien left to become the head coach with the NFL’s Houston Texans, Gesicki stayed at Penn State.

Both men look to make up for lost time as they are reunited in New England.

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Dolphins fans react to Mike Gesicki signing with Patriots

Fans made their opinions known.

After months of speculation, the Miami Dolphins and Mike Gesicki are splitting ways, as the tight end is signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.

The arrival of Mike McDaniel, while helping a number of players in South Florida, wasn’t exactly beneficial for Gesicki. The former Nittany Lion had one of his worst seasons and was actually outsnapped by Durham Smythe.

When the news broke of his signing with an AFC East rival, Dolphins fans took to social media to let their opinions be known, and the reaction was all over the place.

Instant analysis to Patriots signing former Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki

What are the Patriots getting with Mike Gesicki in the offense?

Jonnu Smith leaving the building didn’t mean the New England Patriots were throwing in the towel on having two dynamic pass-catching tight ends in the offense.

Newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien needs weapons to dish out damage to opposing defenses, and coach Bill Belichick went out and got him another one with former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki.

It’s a reported one-year deal for the former second-round draft pick out of Penn State.

No, Gesicki isn’t built to move bodies as a blocker, but he can sure run past them in the open field. He can basically be viewed through the scope of having another receiver on the field.

Smooth like butter.

O’Brien can dial it up just like that to make opposing defenses cry uncle. Gesicki working alongside Hunter Henry gives the Patriots a formidable tandem at tight end to create more offensive firepower.

However, the hope is that the former Dolphin can help the Patriots improve their red zone scoring percentage, which plummeted to dead last in the league in touchdowns last season (42.2 percent).

Gesicki had back-to-back seasons with 700-plus receiving yards, before otherworldly receiver Tyreek Hill joined the roster. The 27-year-old tight end is another reliable receiving target and potential red zone weapon for quarterback Mac Jones.

In the ongoing AFC East arms race, the Patriots will definitely need him.

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Patriots signing rival playmaking tight end to one-year deal

The Patriots have their Jonnu Smith replacement.

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It didn’t take the New England Patriots long to find their Jonnu Smith replacement.

On Friday morning, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported the team is signing former Miami Dolphins standout tight end Mike Gesicki to a one-year deal.

It’s essentially a swap of Smith for Gesicki for a Patriots team looking for drastic improvements on the offensive side of the ball.

After posting 700-plus yards in back-to-back seasons, Gesicki’s numbers came down a bit in 2022. He finished the season with 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns. It was expected with a Dolphins offense that added Tyreek Hill with Jaylen Waddle at receiver.

Gesicki is a huge red zone target, which was one of the biggest trouble spots for the Patriots last season.

The Patriots are loading up offensively, but they could still use a legitimate No. 1 receiver to take the top off opposing defenses. At the very least, Gesicki gives them another dynamic tight end to pair with Hunter Henry.

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Former Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki signing with division rival

Fans won’t be too pleased with the decision.

The Miami Dolphins have done a lot to keep their own free agents from their 2022 roster around for the 2023 season, but it’s obvious that not everyone was going to return.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, tight end Mike Gesicki, arguably Miami’s top free agent, is signing a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that his deal could max out a $9 million.

Gesicki, 27, spent five years with the Dolphins after being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft out of Penn State. In his time with Miami, he recorded 231 receptions for 2,617 yards and 18 touchdowns despite constant changes at quarterback and offensive coordinator.

In Mike McDaniel’s offense, Gesicki had one of the worst years of his career, bringing in just 32 receptions for 362 yards and five touchdowns.

Now, in New England, which just brought back former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien to be their offensive coordinator, Gesicki may have another chance to prove his value and cash in next year.

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Top 5 TE in 2024 includes Penn State in list of 8

Penn State among top schools considered by one of the top tight ends in 2024.

Penn State has had some great tight ends come through the program in recent years. [autotag]Jesse James[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] and [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] all secured starting roles in the NFL. [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag] is also expected to get selected in the upcoming draft.

To replace the NFL talent that comes into the program, it’s important to recruit top prospects to fill those shoes.

Class of 2024 tight end, Brady Prieskorn, is a consensus top 10 player at his position in the country. On3 has him ranked 71st in his class and the number four tight end. Prieskorn is a four-star from Michigan who played on the varsity high school team his freshman year. He’s listed at 6’5″ and 220 pounds.

After receiving over 30 scholarship offers from programs across the country, he recently cut his list down to eight schools.

Penn State made the list along with Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Miami.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Michigan as the massive favorites to land Prieskorn with a 92% chance. Penn State is currently given a 1.7% chance to land him, although the machine hasn’t been updated since he trimmed his list to eight schools.

When discussing Penn State with On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Prieskorn said, “They have great coaches and I have a good connection with them. They have a good history with tight ends and developing them.”

We’ll see if the recruiting staff and coaches are able to get a Michigan prospect to leave the state. If they are, Prieskorn could potentially be one of the most impactful players in Penn State’s 2024 class.

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Mike Hilton recruits Mike Gesicki to Bengals — and gets a reply

So…this one is worth watching.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a need at tight end and could be a player for some of free agency’s biggest names.

Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton seems to know it, too.

Hilton, often a recruiter for top players on social media, took to Twitter and threw a recruiting pitch at Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki.

And Gesicki even replied, noting that No. 88 is available in Cincinnati after the team lost Hayden Hurst to the open market.

This is all good fun and players do this all the time now, of course. But Gesicki would be an amazing addition to the offense. He was our top Hurst replacement available and is a 6’6″ weapon who might seek out a prove-it deal. To say he’d be an upgrade would be an understatement.

Here’s a screenshot of the exchange in case it gets deleted:

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The 20 best remaining players after Day 2 of NFL free agency

It’s Day 3 of free agency. A franchise LT and safety are somehow STILL available.

Fun fact: The NFL’s negotiation window might begin on Monday, with most free-agent players locked in immediately. But the new league year doesn’t actually start until today!

It’s wild to think about after seeing all these underrated trades and handsome contracts fly around, right? (Also, it’s funny knowing most of these moves aren’t 100 percent official and can technically fall through at any time.)

However, despite most of the free agent field being combed through this year, many franchise players and stars remain available. To be quite honest with you: I don’t know why. But I’ve never professed to know precisely how an NFL GM thinks.

As Day 3 of free agency rolls on, here’s an overview of the 20 top unsigned players left. (Note: I’ve said before they’ll likely not last much longer on the open market. But nothing seems assured anymore.)