Tag: Mike Gesicki

Reading the room: Evaluating tight ends on Patriots’ roster

It’ll be the Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki Show at tight end, but others could contribute at the position for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots have always loved their tight ends, and they doubled down at the position in 2021 by signing Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at the same time.

Fast forward to 2023, and Smith is in Atlanta, while the Patriots brought in Mike Gesicki as a replacement.

Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien pioneered 12 personnel for the Patriots in his first stint with the team. He brought in Will Lawing, who has followed him in his previous stints, to coach the tight end position. There’s hope the two can work together to create a new gold standard at the position.

For now, here’s what things look like for the Patriots’ 2023 tight end group:

5 takeaways from Day 2 of Patriots’ mandatory minicamp

The Patriots defense is firing on all cylinders, and the offense looks improved.

It was another strong day for the New England Patriots in their second official outing at mandatory minicamp. The offense wasn’t a catastrophe, and the defense looked like a potential juggernaut in the making.

As far as attendance is concerned, it wasn’t much better on Tuesday, but most of the players were accounted for on the practice field.

Veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, who is believed to be holding out for contract reasons wasn’t on the field, and the team was also still missing offensive guard Michael Onwenu, along with wide receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.

The list of absences are as follows:

  • WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
  • WR Tyquan Thornton
  • G Michael Onwenu
  • WR Kayshon Boutte
  • EDGE Keion White
  • DT Justus Tavai
  • CB Quandre Mosely

The Patriots have one more minicamp practice remaining on their schedule before the team breaks until training camp in late July. Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s practice:

Mike Gesicki claims Patriots are buying into Bill O’Brien’s offense

In Bill O’Brien the Patriots trust? Add tight end Mike Gesicki to the growing list of players praising the new offensive coordinator.

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New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki is pleased with the job offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien is doing, particularly in his ability to get the entire offensive unit on the same page.

O’Brien has received praise from multiple Patriots players over the past couple of weeks. Quarterback Mac Jones indicated that he liked working with him, and Gesicki shares that sentiment. The tight end has familiarity with O’Brien, who recruited him to Penn State.

So far, Gesicki, along with everybody else, seems to be buying in.

“Coach O’Brien has done a really good job bringing everybody along with him,” said Gesicki, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “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.”

The veteran tight end will look to improve on a 2022 season that saw him record 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns.

Gesicki is expected to have a significant role in the Patriots’ offense, and it will be exciting to see just how much he brings to the table under O’Brien’s tutelage.

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Breaking down Patriots TE Mike Gesicki’s extensive contract incentives

Mike Gesicki could rack up on incentives if he has a big year for the Patriots.

The New England Patriots moved on from Jonnu Smith in the offseason and signed former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

It’s clear the Patriots are determined to get back to dual playmaking tight ends on offense. Gesicki is less versatile than Smith, but he might prove to be more reliable in the receiving department considering he’s basically a wideout in a tight end’s body.

Those playmaking abilities will come in handy in helping him rack up on the many incentives laid out in his contract, per the 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov.

The incentives in Gesicki’s contract could scale as high as $4.5 million. So he could double his salary if he’s able to hit every number. Of course, that might prove to be a challenge in an offense that already has quarterback Mac Jones’ go-to tight end target, Hunter Henry, on the field.

But it’s also important to note that Gesicki’s career-high season wasn’t all that long ago. In 2021, he hauled in 73 receptions for 780 yards and two touchdowns with the Dolphins.

We’ll see if he can tap back into those playmaking abilities in New England. Here are the incentives in his 2023 contract:

Patriots TE Mike Gesicki primed for big role offensively

The new Patriots tight end duo, Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry, will play a big role for the offense in 2023.

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The New England Patriots offense will look a bit different in 2023, spearheaded by offseason acquisitions such as tight end Mike Gesicki.

The former Penn State star recorded 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns for the Miami Dolphins last season. He reunites with Bill O’Brien, who recruited him to Penn State.

Per a report from NESN’s Zack Cox, the tight end will be used in tandem with Hunter Henry in frequent two tight end sets.

Cox wrote:

Asked about Gesicki after Wednesday’s organized team activities practice, quarterback Mac Jones said he and Henry are “going to work as a pair,” suggesting new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien plans to frequently deploy both on the field together.

This is something we have seen before with O’Brien at offensive coordinator.

O’Brien managed to make Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez the best tight end tandem in the NFL in the early part of the 2010s.

Gesicki and Henry will have a chance to make the tight end position a key piece of the Patriots’ offense once again, and it sounds like it might be a focal point.

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Penn State commit Luke Reynolds now Top 100 prospect

This Penn State commit is not a top 100 player in the nation in the Class of 2024.

[autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag] has had himself a couple of great weeks.

The Penn State commit earned himself an invitation out to Los Angeles for the Elite 11 finals in June. Analysts and scouts say he might have been the most impressive prospect out of anyone who competed in State College, PA for the Elite 11 Regional.

Reynolds is a 6’4″ 220 pound tight end prospect from the state of Connecticut. When he committed to Penn State in late March, Reynolds was considered a three-star prospect.

That has now changed, with his name surging up recruiting boards.

247Sports has already moved him up their list as the 80th ranked prospect in the entire class of 2024. One week prior, he was the 299th overall player. Reynolds is now rated as the sixth best tight end in the class and the number one player in Connecticut.

The meteoric rise has come in part from the fact that he’s now focusing all his attention to the tight end position. Previously, Reynolds split time at quarterback for his high school. He made the decision to become a tight end full time which is clearly paying off for him.

Former Penn State tight end, Adam Breneman, was able to speak with Reynolds at the camp. Breneman had some high praise for the Connecticut prospect, comparing Reynolds to another former Penn State tight end.

Breneman told 247Sports, “He reminds me of when I first met [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] coming out of high school. That’s an easy comparison to make because I know Mike so well.”

He continued with his analysis saying, “The first thing I noticed about Luke was his confidence. … He wanted every single rep. He knew he was gonna win those reps every time he went up, and that’s the confidence, that’s the swagger that Mike always had.”

Reynolds is definitely a prospect to keep an eye on going forward as he eventually arrives on campus. He could be the next tight end that carries on the legacy of Penn Staters playing in the NFL.

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Devin McCourty excited about offensive possibilities with Mike Gesicki

Devin McCourty believes Mike Gesicki could be the Patriots’ best mismatch on the field.

Tight end Mike Gesicki was one of the big acquisitions in the New England Patriots’ 2023 offseason.

He comes to the organization after spending the first five seasons of his career with the Miami Dolphins. When speaking with NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, former New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty said he believes Gesicki will be an asset to the offense.

He went over some of the Patriots’ offensive weapons and made sure to mention the former Penn State tight end. Gesicki is coming off a season with Miami that saw him record 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns. Now, he could play a major role for a New England offense looking for a vertical weapon at the tight end position.

McCourty offered insight into the mismatch capabilities Gesicki brings to the table.

“That’s how we saw him,” McCourty said. “Every time he checked into the game we would call personnel and we would put ‘light’ at the end of it. He’s a tight end but ‘light’ would remind us that it’s really a receiver.

“I think he’ll probably be their best mismatch when it comes to game plan and getting him matched up. He had a great year in 2021. A new offense comes in and doesn’t fit him (in 2022 and his numbers decline). I’m excited to see what he does in this offense.”

The relationship between Gesicki and Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien could work out well for the team in a year where they’re hoping to find an offensive spark. Gesicki’s ability to cause problems with matchups is exactly what the Patriots need to keep offensive pace in the modern NFL.

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Patriots TE Mike Gesicki shares admiration for defensive unit

Mike Gesicki is happy he’s done facing the New England defense in games.

Mike Gesicki has always admired the New England Patriots, even as an opponent. He was particularly impressed by New England’s defense as a member of the Miami Dolphins.

The tight end tallied 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season with Miami. He scored a touchdown against New England’s defense last season, when the teams met on January 1. He had two catches for 18 yards and a score on the day.

Now, he is joining a New England squad that ranked eighth in the league in yards allowed per game. The tight end shared his respect and admiration for that unit.

“I think it goes back to the structure,” Gesicki said, when speaking with media members, per NESN’s Dakota Randall. “You know that the Patriots aren’t gonna beat themselves. That’s kind of what they’ve always hunger their hat on. So, that’s something that, going through film, all that kind of stuff, you know they’re disciplined and reliable — all that kind of stuff. And then, obviously, a lot of talent on that side of the ball as well.

“Definitely excited to not have to face them anymore and be a part of that team.”

Gesicki hopes to boost a Patriots offense that struggled in 2022.

However, the addition of Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator should be able to help the 27-year-old tight end and others reach their full potential this time around.

At the very least, Gesicki will not have to face the Patriots defense in the regular season.

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Former Dolphins TE Mike Gesicki continues to take the high road

What a guy.

2022 wasn’t a year that former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki will look back on fondly.

While he made the most of his career in a single season ($10.93 million) due to the franchise tag, he also had the fewest receptions (32) and yards (362) since his rookie season.

In Mike McDaniel’s system, everyone knew that could be an issue, but Miami wanted to see if they could make it work.

While Gesicki didn’t have his best season, he was always saying the right things, and, even though he’s signed with a division rival in the New England Patriots, that doesn’t seem to be changing.

On Thursday, Gesciki met with the New England media and was asked what he learned about himself based on the way things unfolded in 2022. His answer was textbook.

“Honestly, it’s just how this business goes,” Gesicki said. “So, you gotta be able to be a professional through all the good and be professional for all the bad. That’s kind of who I’ve always been, so I thought that was a good opportunity for me to continue to practice patience and be ready when opportunities are called. That was pretty much what that was giving me an opportunity to get better at.”

He’s nothing if not the consummate professional.

Despite not fitting the role wanted him to last year, Gesicki’s departure still leaves a hole in the Dolphins’ tight end room. Durham Smythe is the top dog right now with Eric Saubert, Tanner Conner and rookie Elijah Higgins filling out the group.

That doesn’t exactly strike fear in opposing coordinators. However, Miami may be able to get by due to their talent and speed at both wide receiver and running back.

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Patriots TE Mike Gesicki shares initial impression of Mac Jones

Mike Gesicki shared his thoughts on Mac Jones.

New England Patriots tight end Mike Gesicki shared his first impressions of Patriots quarterback Mac Jones with the media on Thursday.

Gesicki comes to New England as one of the team’s big free-agent signings. He is coming from the Miami Dolphins after tallying 32 catches for 362 yards and five touchdowns last season. He is looking to become a passing weapon for Jones, who is looking to have a bounce-back 2023 campaign.

Gesicki may feature into the offense quite a bit. New England reportedly views him as a pass-catching tight end as opposed to a blocking one. So far, the tight end has a positive impression of Jones, as he told the media on Thursday.

It will be intriguing to see what type of role Gesicki plays. He is a quarterback’s best friend with his athleticism and 6-foot-6 frame. Here’s to hoping it all comes together in New England.

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