PATRIOTS FREE AGENTS: Austin Hooper
NOTABLE EXTERNAL FREE AGENTS: Patrick Ricard (FB), Juwan Johnson, Mike Gesicki, Tyler Conklin, Zach Ertz, Tommy Tremble, Pharaoh Brown, Jakob Johnson (FB)
Despite a down season for the offense overall, one silver lining for the Patriots pass-catchers was a productive tight end room led by veterans Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper in 2024.
Last season, the Pats tight-end duo combined to rank in the top-six in receptions (113) and receiving yards (1,170) among tight ends. Henry, in particular, had an outstanding season as a security blanket for second-year QB Drake Maye, finishing with a career-high 674 receiving yards. Hooper was also very productive when thrown to, generating +0.12 expected points added per target. Hooper, who is now an unrestricted free agent, was also a viable in-line blocker, making him a useful No. 2 tight end behind Henry.
Maye has shown a penchant for throwing to his tight ends while growing a close off-field relationship with Henry. Maye's ability to drive the ball through the middle of the field makes targeting the big-bodied receivers appealing, while Henry and Hooper were also reliable check-down options. Overall, it was a good tandem whose veteran presence seemed to help Maye, making re-signing Hooper worthwhile. However, it's worth noting that Hooper signed with the Patriots due to his relationship with former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. With the Pats changing offensive coordinators, Hooper is no longer familiar with the system or coaching staff, which could lead to a change behind Henry.
If the Patriots want to add an external free-agent tight end to replace Hooper, it's not necessarily a great veteran tight end market. Juwan Johnson will likely be the top option as more of a flex/move tight end in a similar mold to Jonnu Smith, who struggled in current OC Josh McDaniels's offense. Jets tight end Tyler Conklin would bring a similar play style as Hooper, while former Patriots tight end Pharaoh Brown has been in Bill O'Brien's system.
Along with potentially losing Hooper in free agency, the Patriots need to keep adding youthful talent to the room. Henry is still a capable starting tight end, but he's nearing 31 years old, so starting to prepare for life after Henry is wise. From this perspective, tapping into a loaded draft class might make the most sense for New England, given the free-agent options, adding a rookie tight end to second-year TE Jaheim Bell as developmental prospects.
With the veteran Henry there to break in a rookie tight end, the Pats don't need to pass the torch right away, but they could get the coverage-dictating weapon they covet at the top of the draft. Penn State TE Tyler Warren and Michigan's Colston Loveland project to be impact playmakers, with Warren more in the mold of Rob Gronkowski and Loveland in the Travis Kelce archetype. Nobody is saying they'll be two of the greatest tight ends of all time, but Warren is a do-it-all chess piece who wins with tremendous size and body control, while Loveland is a dynamic route-running receiver who plays the game with great pace.
Moving further down the board, day-two options such as Elijah Arroyo (Miami), Gunnar Helm (Texas), Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green), Mason Taylor (LSU, Jason Taylor's son), and Terrance Ferguson (Oregon) project to be starting tight ends in the league. With as many as seven tight ends receiving starter grades in this year's draft, the Patriots can both fill out the depth chart and add a developmental receiver to the pipeline who could eventually replace Henry in this year's draft.
Although we'd consider targeting a tight end in the draft rather than free agency, the Patriots might also be in the market for a fullback. McDaniels has always rostered a fullback as a lead-blocker in his offense, from James Develin to German-born Jakob Johnson, the latter of which is a free agent. The schematic advantage of a fullback is that it's beneficial to have a player in the backfield who can add on to either side of the formation to create blocking surfaces while clearing the way for the ball carrier. Then, offenses can throw out of those two-back groupings using play-action, which can be highly effective, as we've seen in the past.
As we mentioned, Johnson is currently a free agent after he was let go by the Raiders when they parted ways with McDaniels. Ravens All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard is also an unrestricted free agent, but it seems unlikely that Baltimore would let a very valuable piece of their offense go. On the current roster, Bell could transition to a fullback/H-Back role, but he'd have to adjust his higher center of gravity to be an effective lead blocker if that's his path. From this perspective, it would be mildly shocking if New England doesn't add a fullback this offseason.
The Patriots might decide to keep continuity at tight end by re-signing Hooper, but adding a high-upside rookie in the draft could be beneficial in the long run.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
