Tag: Bill Belichick

Apparently the NFL Draft is Already Having Technical Difficulties

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So the NFL Draft is going on as originally planned Thursday night, except due to the coronavirus the entire thing is being done remote. Imagine your job being on the line and the future of an NFL organization relying on your Zoom account? Well apparently there have already been technical difficulties and that is not a good sign for Thursday night.

I’m really hoping for some live streams of coaches and GMs sitting at their draft war rooms kitchen tables because I need to see these old football guys losing their shit like me in a fantasy football draft when the laggy internet drafts the wrong guy.

I’ve been searching for the best program for video chatting coworkers or doing happy hours with friends and guess what? They all suck. I don’t know how people do these calls with more than 3 or 4 people. Some have horrific audio and video delays, others are legitimately overloaded from the surge of people working from home, and none of them run smoothly consistently. And thats just me talking about client campaigns or crushing a few crafties with some buddies, not trying to manage the future of a billion dollar franchise.

Some of these GMs are better prepared than others or at least are pretending to be. Take John Elway for example, who looks like he’s opening up a Buffalo Wild Wings in his house.

But then you’ve got guys like Bill Belichick who don’t even know what Facebook is so this shouldn’t be a disaster at all.

I’m just waiting for Leeroy Jenkins to bust in when someone’s on the clock and really throw a wrench into this draft.

The New Patriots Uniforms Are Here and They Are Fine

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They’re here! The new Patriots jerseys are here! And I am…underwhelmed. In the age of sports talk radio and hot takes on twitter every day, the idea of straddling the fence has essentially become a punishable offense. You either love something and you’re swiping your credit card as we speak or it’s hot garbage and the team should just contract. Well prepare to be disappointed because that is exactly how I feel about these uniforms. They’re fine. They aren’t great, I’m definitely not buying one, but they’re not terrible. They’re just meh.

My biggest disappointment is that they aren’t even new. The Patriots announcing the Color Rush jersey becoming the primary home jersey as “new” is a stretch. They’ve been wearing these jerseys for years; that’s not new.

The white jerseys are also super OK.

But again they aren’t all that different from the team’s normal white roads, aside from those new shoulder stripes.

Seriously though, these are basically the same thing.

Come on!

I know I shouldn’t be surprised, Mike Reiss already told us the changes were going to be minor. These aren’t terrible, BUT the Patriots missed a huge opportunity and I can’t believe it. If you’re going to just repurpose old product (Color Rush jerseys) and repackage them as something brand new, at least do it right. The white on white color rush jerseys the Pats rocked in Tampa a couple years ago were CLEAN.

Yet the Patriots decided to go white on blue and just muck it all up.

So these jerseys are fine, they’re nothing great, but I think the team missed an opportunity here. It was time for a change, the Patriots were smart to go with a slightly different look in the post Tom Brady era, but unfortunately the Krafts will not be getting any of my stimulus check Trump Bucks.

The Patriots New Jerseys Are Officially Coming On Patriots Day

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I blogged about this a couple weeks back as we broke down the best jerseys in franchise history and pondered what the Patriots could potentially do with new unis. My campaign for the throwback red jerseys was pretty quickly killed by Mike Reiss who reported the jersey tweaks would be minor. However, this teaser video the Pats just tweeted out has me rethinking all that.

I know the cynics out there are bitching that so many teams are only changing their jerseys (Pats are the 4th team this offseason by my count) because Nike wants to hawk more gear, but sometimes a little change is a good thing. Especially with the end of an era and TB12 now in Tampa Bay, I am not opposed to something new. So help me God if this is a Jay Glazer-esque hype train only for it to be much ado about nothing. I’m not going to take my pants off for new piping accent colors, this isn’t Uni Watch.

The countdown is on and there really couldn’t be a more appropriate day for the Pats to make the announcement: Patriots Day. We’ll be back to break it down after the reveal and potentially blow some stimulus check funds on a fresh new jersey.

The Patriots Are Updating Their Jerseys in 2020. What Do You Want to See?

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CBS – The Patriots will be making a change to their uniforms, according to The Associated Press’ Joe Reedy.

Specifically, Reedy listed four teams (one of which being the Patriots) making uniform changes, along with two teams making uniform and logo changes, plus one team making a uniform tweak. Considering the Patriots aren’t changing their logo, and considering this is not merely a “tweak,” this report would seemingly add to the belief that the Patriots are set to ditch their “Color Rush” jerseys as their third/alternate jersey.

To be honest the Patriots are probably due for a jersey update and I am an unabashed jersey guy so I love to see new looks. I mean even the Cowboys mess with their jerseys every now and then so it’s okay to switch things up. The Patriots have been wearing essentially the same thing, minus a patch here or there and minor tweaks, for the past 20 years.

Julian Edelman teased us all last week when he posted a photoshop of him in the old 90s royal blue unis, which are so choice. They are gloriously 90s in the best way. Just over the top, odd colors thrown together, and ugly but in a good way. Was he actually teasing something or just messing with us?

Mike Reiss threw some cold water on the idea of a dramatic update though, but I’m going to ignore that for the time being.

What jersey would you want the Patriots to bring back? Lets take a look at what they’ve rocked over the years.

This same image has actually been hanging in my parents’ basement for the better part of 20 years.

If the reports are true and the Patriots aren’t “changing their logo” then that means they’re not going back to the throwback red unis full-time. I *love* Pat the Patriots, but the Krafts would be stupid to change the logo of the most successful franchise in sports. This doesn’t mean we can’t get a one off though. Please?

This 1960s era throwback that they debuted in 2009 and have worn several times since has actually become an incredibly difficult jersey to find these days despite being one of the most universally beloved looks. Don’t sleep on the white throwbacks either because those were fresh too.

I’ve been hunting for a throwback red Brady jersey for a while now and it is sold out everywhere except for obnoxious XXXL sizes. HOWEVER, I went back to the Patriots online store again today and suddenly these are stocked in every size with a note about how they’ll ship out in 3-4 weeks. That is interesting timing. Hmmmmmm

With a new look coming, it would seem like the most obvious casualty is the Pats axing the dark blue Color Rush jersey aka the “Jacoby Brissett.” These have actually became their third alternate recently. The all navy look was fine, but never blew my socks off.

I would love if they made the Color Rush white on whites a full-time road uni as that is one of the cleanest looks in the league. The Patriots rocked these back in 2017 on Thursday Night Football in…yup, Tampa.

I’m probably one of the few guys in New England that actually owns the silver Patriots jersey that debuted in 2003. It was definitely wonky and only lasted a couple of seasons, but I always liked them.

I’m sure it’ll end up being new piping color or something that you probably won’t even notice, but I would love to see the Patriots try something new. We are in the post-Tom Brady era so there’s no better time to shake things up than now. Rumors were swirling last season that the Pats were considering bringing back the 90’s throwback jerseys. It never happened, but the team did start aggressively marketing those last season. Maybe a little market research before making a decision for 2020?

So, what do you want to see the Patriots rocking next season?

Is Deshaun Watson Watch Officially On for the Patriots? Because It Feels Like It Is.

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I am exhausted from years of [insert player name] Watch over the years only to watch said player never even come close to landing on my team. We just did it with Stefon Diggs for two years, people continue to do it with Odell Beckham Jr. and don’t even get me started on Danny Ainge. Pining for a superstar your team has no shot at ever landing (Anthony Davis, Karl Anthony Towns) is basically a requirement for Celtics fandom.

With that being said, are we now doing Deshaun Watson Watch for the next Patriots QB? It sure seems like it. This all started the other day when oddsmaker BetOnline.com set Deshaun Watson as the PROHIBITIVE favorite to be the Patriots starting QB in 2021. Huh? Granted this came just days after Bill O’Brien made one of the dumbest trades in league history and gave away arguably the best receiver in the league in DeAndre Hopkins for spare parts. Getting a washed up David Johnson and a 2nd round pick for an elite talent like Hopkins (not to mention one of the last lifelines for a seemingly flailing relationship with Watson) is a fireable offense in my opinion.

There were rumors floated by HOF receiver Michael Irvin that Hopkins and O’Brien had a tumultuous, shitty, bordering on disrespectful relationship, but thats no excuse to dump your second best player for a running back who hasn’t been good in THREE years. Trust me, I’ve had him in fantasy 2/3 of those seasons and got burned every time.

The Texans No. 1 goal every year should be to keep Deshaun Watson happy. No. 2 is make the playoffs. In that order. Thats how important Watson is to this franchise…sooo maybe don’t spit in the guy’s face by trading his best weapon. This would be like if the Patriots traded Julian Edelman last year. Just doesn’t make sense.

Even with all that I still find it very hard to believe an elite young QB in his prime would somehow find his way under center for the Patriots next season. It just does not happen in the NFL. Watson is entering the final year of his rookie deal with a 5th year option in 2021 so theres no huge rush for the Texans to trade him, yet. He is going to sign a contract somewhere close to $40M per year depending on what Patrick Mahomes signs for, but as Mike Reiss reports the Patriots coincidentally are set to have around $100 Million in cap space next offseason. Hmmm

Andddd now we are officially getting subtweets from Deshaun Watson!

My team suddenly doesn’t have a QB of the present or the future and now one of my favorite young players to come out of college in years is subtweeting Drake lyrics just days after his team traded his top playmaker?

I’m not sure I’m emotionally ready to handle another [insert player name] Watch, but I don’t think we have any choice. Deshaun Watson Watch is officially on.

Lets Grieve Tom Brady’s Departure Together

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Tom Brady Sr. always said it was going to end badly in New England and that’s exactly what happened. It wasn’t a Drew Bledsoe-esque ending where he got hurt, benched, and traded, but it was an awkward, tense, anticlimactic close to Tom Brady’s Patriots career.

It was a less than stellar final season in NE where Brady just didn’t have the weapons, the defense slowly fell apart, leading to an upset loss on Wild Card weekend to Ryan Tannehill and the Titans, with a pick-six being Brady’s final play. Now with Brady announcing his decision to move on from New England we’re left to grieve the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

It’s yet to be announced where Brady will sign, but guys like Colin Cowherd are starting to report that he’s headed to Tampa Bay. Imagine TB12 in 70 degree weather throwing to Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, OJ Howard (and maybe Antonio Brown)? Good god. Tampa Bay also has the 16th hardest schedule in the NFL this year, compared to the No. 1 most difficult schedule facing New England.

We all knew this day was coming, but it still sucks to see the end of an era. I don’t fault Brady, especially if he did get a massive payday somewhere else and the Pats offered him peanuts. Can’t blame the guy for wanting to make market value after taking discounts his entire career. Especially if the Patriots and Belichick wanted him to sing for his supper just to lowball him again.

What a start to 2020 huh? A homegrown MVP in Mookie Betts gets traded, literally every sports league in America shuts down, the entire country is isolating themselves due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and now TB12 is gone.

This is going to be weird. Since 2001 the only QB to play anything more than garbage time was Matt Cassel after Brady got hurt in 2008. So who the hell is going to play QB for the Pats next season? I broke down all the potential QB options a couple weeks ago, but I still keep hearing *Andy Dalton’s* name for some reason.

Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill are both off the market. Teddy Bridgewater apparently is going to get $30M a year so I’ll pass on that. Philip Rivers is also an old so I don’t see the Pats going that way. I can’t imagine Belichick wanting to sign a guy in Jameis Winston who just threw 30 goddamn INTs. Maybe the Pats do swing a trade for Matt Stafford if the Lions draft a QB?

Or if we’re being honest with ourselves, it’s starting to look like the dawn of the Jarret Stidham era, folks.

Something that I have not been eager to explore about myself is how Tom Brady leaving will affect me as a sports fan. Brady has been under center in Foxborough since I was 12-years-old. As a 30-year-old that is aging in dog years, Brady was one of the few remaining Boston sports icon that is older than me. I’m a full blown Jersey Guy, but I do feel a little odd dishing out $100 bucks for a jersey of a guy that literally just became old enough to buy a beer. With Brady’s departure the best player in Boston is probably 21-year-old Jayson Tatum or maybe 34-year-old Patrice Bergeron or 31-year-old Brad Marchand. But with all due respect, none of those players really compare to Tom Brady.

After Mookie Betts got traded I talked with Big Z about how it didn’t really bother me all that much. Probably because we’re jaded and it’s hard to care as much as you did when you were 15. Tom Brady was the exception to that.

Now as we look to rebuild, to all my friends that are fans of the Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Giants, Colts, Steelers, Chiefs and any other fanbase crawling out of their dumpsters?

Tom Brady is Leaving the Patriots

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I can’t believe the day has finally come. Tom Brady is leaving the New England Patriots. Despite days, months, and even years of preparing for this it still doesn’t feel real. I feel like Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s day off right now; catatonic.

This one hurts. It kind of feels like the Patriots dared Brady to leave and he did just that. As we saw all the potential weapons and upgrades around the league come off the market things started to look worse and worse. Austin Hooper, Deandre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs, Jimmy Graham. Meanwhile the Pats were erasing their cap space with extensions for Devin McCourty and the franchise tag on Joe Thuney so it looks like the team had no intention of bringing Brady back.

We’ll find out soon, but as of right now we don’t know where Brady is going. We can fully expect that he got PAID by LA or maybe Tampa Bay. The numbers will really decide the reaction of Patriots fans towards Belichick and Kraft because if it’s $30 million a year for 3 years then I think people will understand. If it’s even a moderately reasonable deal and the Pats lowballed him yet again then Belichick and Kraft will get roasted for years to come.

The LA Chargers make the most sense in my opinion as Brady wants to grow his brand, he pals around with Hollywood elite already, his wife would love the glitz and glamor, oh and don’t forget the production company he started last week.

Tampa probably backed up the Brinks truck and that team has a *nice* set of offensive weapons, but I just find it hard to believe Brady and Giselle are going to move to the strip club capital of the world.

We’ll have more blogs today as we grieve, but for right now I’m still in a state of shock.

If the World Ends and Tom Brady Does Leave, Who Do You Want at QB for the Patriots?

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I hate even typing these words, it’s like saying Candyman five times in the mirror; just don’t. But what if Tom Brady does leave? What are the options and who do you want under center in Foxborough? With the legal tampering period beginning on March 16th and Free Agency beginning on March 18th, we should have an answer one way or another in the next 2 weeks. If Brady does decide to take his talents elsewhere, the Patriots have a host of different options available, some more attractive than others. Lets break it down.

  • Options Currently on the Patriots Roster
    • Jarret Stidham
      • Drafted in the 4th round last year, the Patriots clearly saw something in Stidham who has impressed in the pre-season, but most fans remember him as the guy that blew the spread with a pick six against the Jets in relief duty of Brady last season. It’s too early to say if Stidham is the guy or not, but I don’t think his presence will prevent the Patriots from exploring any and all other options.
    • Cody Kessler
      • Kessler has been running the scout team on the Patriots practice squad and despite Belichick’s odd fascination with the career backup, he’s not the answer.
  • Trade Options
    • Andy Dalton
      • I hate to besmirch a fellow redhead because these are my people, but I just cannot get behind the Patriots starting the post-Tom Brady era with the Red Rifle. He’s had some decent seasons and has been dealing with a TON of injuries over the years to his top weapons in AJ Green and Tyler Eifert so maybe take his lack of sustained success with a grain of salt. He’s only thrown more than 25 touchdowns twice in his career though and hasn’t done it since 2013 so he hasn’t exactly been lighting it up. Whether thats more of a reflection on him or the disaster that is the Bengals is debatable, but this isn’t the guy I am pining for.
    • Matt Stafford
      • This one gained steam towards the end of last week when Patriots color commentator Scott Zolak floated it out of nowhere on 98.5 so it probably has at least been discussed by the Pats. Stafford has never gotten a ton of love, but has always been a legitimate (fantasy) quarterback despite playing for a desolate franchise in the Lions. His contract is also surprisingly cheap based on the way it’s structured so it definitely makes sense for the Patriots if they can get Stafford for a reasonable price. However he did BREAK HIS BACK last year though so proceed with caution on this one. With the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft the Lions could be thinking the same thing and looking to move on from Stafford so keep your eye on this one.
  • Free Agency
    • Marcus Mariota
      • Alright, hand up, I am a Mariota stan and watched as many of his games at Oregon as I possibly could so this may be a little biased. Granted, he’s not the only Heisman winning QB to flame out in the NFL (looking at you Troy Smith), but I honestly think with Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick coaching him the Pats could turn him into a legit starter. Like most scrambling QBs, Mariota hasn’t been the same since he broke his fibula in Week 16 of the 2016 season. Before that though he was pretty solid with 26 TDs and 9 INTs in his first full season before his TDs and Yards dropped off for 2+ seasons resulting in him getting benched. With a 7.5 Yards per Attempt he definitely doesn’t air it out, but even Brady was 26th in the league at 6.6 Yards per Attempt last season. In fact, you know what Brady’s average Yards per Attempt is for his career? That would be the same exact 7.5 as Mariota so you obviously don’t need to air it out to be successful in this offense.
    • Philip Rivers
      • I wouldn’t hate it as Rivers is only one season removed from making the Pro Bowl with 32 TDs and 12 INTs before getting upset by the Pats in the playoffs. He has thrown 15+ INTs six different times though so the Pats may not be keen on a 38-year-old cowboy.
    • Jameis Winston
      • Winston most likely gets franchised by the Bucs unless Tampa somehow convinces Brady to sign there. It would be a hard sell to bring in a guy that just threw 30 picks too. So despite Bruce Arians’ complete inability to hide his disdain for Winston, he may not be on the market unless Brady shocks everyone and moves to the strip club capital of the world.
    • Ryan Tannehill
      • Similar to the situation in Tampa, the Titans will probably franchise or workout a deal with Tannehill unless Brady signs with the Titans, which is the reported favorite outside of New England. Tannehill was excellent last year as were many of his former Dolphins teammates who all seemed to thrive after Miami traded them away. After never posting a rating higher than 94 in six years as the Dolphins QB, Tannehill had a rating of 117.5 last year for the Titans. That’s an absurd improvement. So I wouldn’t bank on Tannehill all of a sudden having turned into an elite QB.
  • Dip Into the Draft
    • Tua Tagovailoa
      • Barring a massive and unforeseen slide in the draft, the Pats would have to trade an absolute haul of picks to move up far enough to snag Tua so this ain’t happening.
    • Justin Herbert
      • The former Duck could go anywhere from No. 5-25 depending on how his combine and interviews go so it’s possible the Pats could trade up if he slides a bit, but I doubt they lust after him enough to move up too much.
    • Jake Fromm
      • This is the guy that I think makes the most sense for the Pats. An undervalued, smart guy who doesn’t have a monster arm but can still make all the throws, ran a pro style offense and has a ton of experience with 43 starts at Georgia. As someone who’s projected to go late in the first (or later), Fromm is someone the Pats could take without overextending themselves.
    • Jordan Love
      • A big arm, scrambling ability, and a ton of potential without a lengthy track record, Jordan Love is basically the 2020 version of Josh Allen. The Patriots have met with the Utah State QB so there is some interest, but this isn’t the type of player Belichick typically wants under center.
    • Random 6th round dart throw
      • Hey it worked for them once right?

Those are the best options barring a blockbuster move nobody sees coming, but the list of Free Agent quarterbacks is LITTERED with bums so pick your poison. If you don’t like any of the names above you can always pick from the likes of Case Keenum, Colt McCoy, AJ McCarron, Blaine Gabbert, Blake Bortles, Geno Smith ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ENOUGH. The point has been made.

An intriguing option nobody has mentioned is Kyle Allen, who had a pretty good stretch filling in for Cam Newton before falling back to Earth. The Panthers have said they are planning to roll with Newton in 2020, but Carolina may be wary of trading a solid backup with Newton’s health far from certain. Allen’s numbers weren’t exactly lights out finishing with 17 TDs, 16 INTs, 3,322 Yards, and an abysmal 6.79 Yards per Attempt, but he could be a dark horse candidate for a young QB the Pats think they can coach up.

So lets all just pray to the old gods and the new that Tom Brady doesn’t go anywhere, but if he does who do you want under center next season?

Happy Birthday Malcolm Butler and Thank You for Super Bowl XLIX

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Malcolm, Go! Happy birthday to the guy that secured hands down my favorite title in all my years as a Boston sports fan. Sure the 2004 Red Sox reversed the curse, the 2008 Celtics showed us Anything is Possible, the 2001 Patriots was more improbable, the 2011 Bruins were the first B’s team since the 70s to win, but the 2014 Patriots will always be my favorite championship.

In 2014 it had been 10 years since the Patriots had won the big one (cry me a river long suffering sports fans) and despite multiple cracks at it, the Pats had only come up with heart breaking defeats. The 2006 AFC Championship, the 2007 Super Bowl, the 2011 Super Bowl, the 2012 AFC Championship, the 2013 AFC Championship. Doubt was starting to creep into everyone’s minds about whether the Patriots and Tom Brady would ever win another one. Sure Brady already had 3 rings, but that left him smack dab in the middle of the GOAT discussion and far too close to guys like Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning for my liking. At 36-years-old the Patriots were already (prematurely) planning for Brady’s exit by drafting Jimmy G. With this being the most successful team I’ll ever see in my lifetime, I was obsessed with the Patriots maximizing their window. I was frothing at the mouth for title No. 4 (let alone 5, and 6) to cement Brady as the best to ever do it. So SB XLIX was a monumental victory for Brady and Belichick’s legacy plus it happened in the most spectacular, unbelievable fashion. Some people might call it luck that Pete Carroll decided to run it from the 1-yard-line…

Whatever, I’ll take a little luck after the Helmet Catch, the Mario Manningham sideline catch, and not to mention the Jermain Kearse catch in XLIX that nearly caused me to smash my flatscreen just moments before the Butler INT even happened.

Things may not have ended all that well for Butler in New England, what with his benching in the Eagles Super Bowl, but hey thats a scarlet letter that Bill has to wear for the rest of his career. Patriots fans will forever love the part-time player turned Super Bowl hero.

So if you have 12 minutes to kill, definitely revisit the greatest play in Super Bowl history with this clip from the Patriots’ Do You Job special. Happy 30th, Malcolm.

Falcons Tight End Austin Hooper Will Become a Free Agent and the Patriots Need Him

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The Patriots traditionally don’t make a big splash in free agency, but it’s a myth to say they never do. They gave Antonio Brown a 1 year $15 million deal last year, the $65 million deal they gave to Stephon Gilmore in 2017, the Revis deal in 2014, Danny Amendola in 2013, and of course the disaster that was the Adalius Thomas contract in 2007. So while I don’t expect them to make a huge move, especially because of the precarious cap space situation with Tom Brady’s contract, but don’t put it past them.

These are uncharted waters for the Patriots, who haven’t had to think about the tight end position since they drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in 2010. Obviously Hernandez had his own demons, but Gronkowski was a staple for the team for a decade. The biggest question mark was always “how long will Gronk be out for?” rather than “who is going to be our tight end?” Last year the team seemingly thought they could coax one more year out of the big fella as they waited on baited breath until Gronk finally announced his retirement (late) and the Pats missed out on legitimate replacements like Jared Cook.

So this is really the first year the Patriots are fully IN on the tight end market and I can’t think of a better guy to take over than Austin Hooper. Despite my all-time bad break in missing the fantasy football playoffs last season I did have the wherewithal to roster Austin Hooper yet again. I have watched him closely over the past few years. To put it simply, Hooper has been a stud and only has continued to get better as the team around him continued to deteriorate.

  • 75 receptions 787 yards 6 TDs
  • 71 receptions 660 yards 4 TDs
  • 49 receptions 526 yards 3TDs
  • 19 receptions 271 yards 3 TDs

Hooper finished 6th among tight ends in fantasy points last year, while ranking 5th in receptions, 6th in yards, and 4th in TDs. Travis Kelce is a much flashier player, but Hooper is a guy I would take tomorrow. He did miss three games last year with a sprained MCL, but it wasn’t an injury that seemed to hamper him when he returned as he had 7 catches in each of the last two games.

With all the top tight ends in the league earning $9-$10 million per year, expect that to be the starting point for Hooper. However that could jump a bit if the Chargers do franchise Hunter Henry, leaving Hooper as the de facto No. 1 guy on the open market. Yahoo Sports noted that “Salary-cap analyst Joel Corry predicts free agent TE Austin Hooper will command at least a four-year, $44 million contract.” So it may be a stretch for the Pats financially, but they reportedly considered trading for him last year, and it is a crystal clear area of need.

Not to mention Hooper Drives the Boat t-shirts would sell themselves in Massachusetts so I would really appreciate that as well.