Tag: Mike Gesicki

5 takeaways from Day 17 of Patriots training camp practice

A major return. A rising defensive playmaker? An injury concern? Here are five takeaways from Day 17 of Patriots training camp.

It was back to the practice grind on Tuesday for the New England Patriots, who took a couple of days off after Saturday’s preseason game with the Green Bay Packers.

This was a lighter practice with the team working in helmets and shells. They were slated to travel to Tennessee early this week for joint practices with the Tennessee Titans, but those plans have been canceled. So the team will finish up training camp in Foxborough in preparation for Friday’s preseason finale in Nashville.

Here’s the full list of absent players from Day 17 of training camp practice:

CB Isaiah Bolden

G Mike Onwenu

G Cole Strange

CB Jonathan Jones

DE Trey Flowers

WR Tyquan Thornton

OT Conor McDermott

OT Calvin Anderson

ST Cody Davis

WR Tre Nixon (waived)

Don’t let the relaxed practice fool you. The stakes are still high for those on the roster bubble with the 53-man cut deadline rapidly approaching. Let’s delve into some takeaways from Tuesday’s practice.

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki returned to practice on Tuesday

The Patriots got a major return on Tuesday with TE Mike Gesicki practicing for the first time since suffering his shoulder injury.

New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki was back at practice on Tuesday, per multiple media reports.

This is a welcome development for the team. Gesicki suffered a mild dislocated shoulder during practice last Monday, per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Depending on how well he progresses, this could be an early indication that he’ll be ready to play by the Sept. 10 regular season opener.

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien likes to use tight ends in his play-calling. His familiarity with Gesicki from his days at Penn State could be beneficial, as he tries to implement his offensive scheme. Things certainly appeared to be trending in the right direction in the training camp practices.

The tight end recorded 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns with the Miami Dolphins last season.

Gesicki will look to improve on those numbers this fall. Being back on the practice field is certainly a good first step in accomplishing that.

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Madden 24: See the ratings for entire Patriots roster

Did Madden get the Patriots’ ratings right this year?

We are closing in on the start of the 2023 regular season, which means only one thing: It’s Madden season.

With the recent release of EA’s “Madden NFL 24”, the New England Patriots weren’t given much respect at all as far as the player ratings are concerned. Sadly, that’s what happens when a team is an absolute mess and misses the playoffs.

But there is hope for things to be better this time around with all of the new additions to the roster, including the return of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator. The team also made the big splash signing at running back with former two-time NFL leading rusher Ezekiel Elliott joining an offensive backfield that already had burgeoning star rusher Rhamondre Stevenson.

Elliott isn’t listed as a Patriots running back on this list, but that will surely change in a future update. For now, let’s take a look at the overall rating for every Patriots player on the Madden 24 roster.

Patriots catch huge break with Mike Gesicki injury update

Some good news on the Mike Gesicki injury front

The latest update regarding the shoulder injury suffered by tight end Mike Gesicki at Monday’s training camp practice should have New England Patriots fans sleeping a little bit easier.

Gesicki reportedly had a “mild dislocated shoulder” at practice. There are no guarantees of a return date, but given the nature of the injury, the Patriots are hopeful he’ll be available for the regular season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, per the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

New England has leaned heavily into reviving an offense that makes use of two tight ends. That was the thinking back in 2021 as well, when the team signed both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith to lucrative deals.

However, the Smith project didn’t go as planned, and he was ultimately shipped to the Atlanta Falcons in a trade back in March. So the Patriots brought in Gesicki in hopes of adding another reliable receiving option to an offense clearly lacking in that department.

Gesicki has had a strong training camp up to this point, particularly in recent practices where he has made multiple highlight-worthy plays. For an offense lacking in elite playmakers, they’ve already shown themselves to be a much better team when he’s on the field.

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Patriots TE Mike Gesicki suffers training camp practice injury

Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki left training camp practice with an injury on Monday and did not return.

New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki was injured during practice on Monday. He suffered the injury during a one-on-one drill and had to be helped off the field.

He was favoring his right side when he got up, per the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

This could be a potentially big development for New England. The tight end was one of New England’s premier offseason acquisitions, and he is in line to serve as a key piece of offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien’s unit.

The Penn State product caught 32 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Miami Dolphins. New England hopes he can be part of a dynamic tight end duo with Hunter Henry.

For now, the Patriots are forced to play the waiting game and hope it isn’t anything serious.

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Is it time for Patriots to extend TE Hunter Henry to new deal?

Making the case for a Hunter Henry extension.

Hunter Henry signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in 2021 and immediately latched on as a productive red zone threat for the New England Patriots.

Henry missed 10 games throughout his time with the Los Angeles Chargers and had known issues staying on the field, playing around 50 percent of the snaps.

In his debut season with the Patriots in 2021, he hauled in 603 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. In 2022, with Matt Patricia at the helm of the offense, he struggled in a season where he only had 41 catches for 509 yards and two touchdowns.

It was the worst year of his career since his rookie year.

Henry is just 28 years old, and he has managed to stay healthy since coming to New England. Mike Gesicki was signed this offseason but only to a one-year contract. Henry, a leader in the locker room, is on the final year of his deal and looks like he is back to his 2021 self, which is an efficient red zone target for Mac Jones.

If the Patriots and Bill O’Brien wish to use a two tight end set for more than just this year, it would make sense to retain Henry, while also freeing up cap space in the process with an extension.

Henry has chemistry with Jones, is a leader for the team and has been productive in the community. All of these should point to a new extension coming, and the Patriots should act fast with no true developmental players waiting in the wings and ready to take over next year.

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Madden 24 ratings for every Patriots tight end

Here’s how the Patriots’ tight ends rated in the upcoming “Madden NFL 24” video game.

The New England Patriots haven’t given up on their pursuit of reviving the tight end position. So they ditched the Jonnu Smith bandwagon and attached themselves to a new wagon altogether.

“Madden NFL 24” will feature Hunter Henry and newly-signed Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki. The hope is that the two form the sort of one-two punch that Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez created on the field back in 2011.

Gesicki doesn’t provide much in the way of blocking, but he basically acts as another wide receiver on the field, which is exactly what the Patriots need after failing to land a big, elite outside target. The combination of Henry and Gesicki should be able to mask the other issues to some degree.

Here’s a look at the ratings for every Patriots tight end in the upcoming Madden 24 video game:

5 takeaways from Day 12 of Patriots training camp practice

The Patriots ramped things up at practice in preparation for their preseason opener.

The New England Patriots put a cherry on top of their Week 1 prep work for their upcoming preseason opener at Tuesday’s training camp practice.

It was a padded practice that shifted focus to those expected to suit up for Thursday night’s game. Those hoping to see defensive end Trey Flowers back in a Patriots uniform will have to wait a little while longer. After signing with the Patriots, the former defensive star was placed on the active/PUP list by the team.

There were several absences and a big return for the Patriots at practice. The full list of absences is as follows:

DE Trey Flowers

G Michael Onwenu

G Cole Strange

G Bill Murray

OT Calvin Anderson

ST Cody Davis

RB/WR Ty Montgomery

OT Calvin Anderson

This was likely the final day fans will be allowed to attend a Patriots training camp practice this year. Let’s jump into some takeaways from the latest practice before the preseason opener.

Stock up, stock down for Patriots ahead of preseason opener

Who’s stock is up and who’s stock is down for the Patriots?

The New England Patriots are approaching their first preseason game of the 2023 season on Thursday, which will be an important test for every player on the 90-man roster. Each player is fighting for a role and an opportunity to make the 53-man roster.

As each week passes, we will be taking a look at players or position groups and breaking down how they have been performing this summer.

Stock watching is a way of sharing what we see and how a player is performing or building off of their past performances. Generally, the more a stock drops, the lower their roster lock status becomes.

As with all roster moves, there are multiple facets that get taken into consideration, like contracts, draft status and positional need. Let’s take a look at who is up and who is down in the Patriots’ stock watch.

Ranking the best tight ends on the Bills’ 2023 schedule by PFF grade

Ranking the best tight ends on the #Bills’ 2023 schedule by PFF grade (via @TejasVemparala):

The Buffalo Bills have some talented teams and offenses to play against on their upcoming 2023 schedule.

Typically, the offensive side of the ball is closely associated with the quarterback play. Tight ends now play an integral part in many NFL offenses, needing to block defenders to protect the QB, create and maintain running lanes for the back, or even running routes to provide an option for the quarterback when throwing.

Here’s how Pro Football Focus graded and ranked every running back the Bills will face in 2023: