Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Tight End Thursday: Pats Need Improvement at the Tight End position in 2021 — 1/14/2021

Episode Date: January 14, 2021

The tight end position was considered a significant area of need for the New England Patriots heading into the 2020 NFL season. Unfortunately, the production from the Pats’ 2020 tight ends was minimal, at best. Joining host Mike D’Abate is columnist Clare “ClazzyClare” Cooper. The duo discuss the 2020 performance of Ryan Izzo, the potential for Matt LaCosse’s return to the team in 2021, the rookie tandem of Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, and who might the Patriots target in the offseason.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON,” and you’ll get 20% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus. EchelonGo to EchelonFit.com/LockedOn and try any Echelon Fitness equipment at home for 30 days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxborough faithful. You are now locked in to the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Thursday, January 14th, 2021. And if Tuesday was the day to be reborn to run, and Wednesday we ran the wide route and talked to some wide receivers, then why not make today tight end Thursday on your daily home for news notes and analysis

infused with the occasional opinion on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Lockdown Patriots Podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. And you all know that because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, and your feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated.

Share that feedback anytime by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, what's happening? Thank you so much for joining me here today on the pod. It might be a little quiet on the news front when it comes to your favorite team in Foxborough, but that doesn't mean that there's not still a lot of analysis that needs to be done when

it comes to their performance on the field in 2020 and what their prospectus might be in 2021. And on Monday's hashtag LockedOnMurph Monday episode of LockedOnPatriots, we started this process. Murph and I took a little bit of a deep dive into the Patriots' prowess on special teams and along the offensive line. On Tuesday, Steve Balistrieri joined me on the hot seat, and we took it a little bit of a step further, taking a deep dive solely on the Patriots' running back core.

Yesterday here on the pod, John Sapochnetti joined me for Wide Out Wednesday, and we talked about the Patriots' core of wide receivers. Well, today we're going to keep with that alliterative theme, and to be honest with you folks, I don't think I could find a more appropriate guest to join me for Tight End Thursday. Not only is my guest today fast becoming one of the premier experts on the position of Tight End, but this guest also happens to be the one that dubbed me the Admiral of Alliteration. Yeah, folks, you all know who I'm talking about.

The Countess of Clas herself, Claire Clasie Claire Cooper, is joining me today here on the hot seat. And, of course, with it being Tight End Thursday, what else are we going to talk about? The Tight End position for your New England Patriots. We all know that Claire has a bit of an affinity for Ryan Izzo, and we will discuss Ryan's season and why injury and maybe unrealistic expectations might have contributed to a subpar season in 2020. We'll also discuss a forgotten member of this tight end depth chart, Matt Lacoste.

Remember him opting out of the 2019 season as a result of the COVID end depth chart. Matt Lacoste, remember him? Opting out of the 2019 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Matt is scheduled to be under contract this year for the New England Patriots. After all, that one year, one million dollars that he has left on his two-year deal, the one that he signed in 2019, is scheduled to toll into the 2021 season. Will Matt be around for the foreseeable future? Of course, that's just scratching the surface because we will talk about the two tight ends that underwhelmed the most this year, and those are the Patriots rookies, Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi. Were these rookies simply asked to do too much too quickly and couldn't handle the load, or are there underlying reasons why

they may not be the tight end tandem of the future for your New England Patriots. Last but certainly not least, we'll ask Claire to gaze into her Belichickian crystal ball and prognosticate on what the Patriots might do to upgrade the position. Will they seek help from outside the organization? Maybe pursue someone like Hunter Henry or Janu Smith? Will they try to seek a trade from a team that seems to be rich in tight ends? Or will they go the draft route? University of Florida's Kyle Pitts would look great in a Patriots uniform, but would he really be the best solution to move the Patriots forward immediately in 2021?

Pats fans, these are all questions that the Countess herself and I will tackle here on this tight end Thursday. And in just a moment, Claire, Clazzy Claire Cooper and I will kick off our discussion and analysis of this area of the Patriots potential 2021 roster. Talking tight ends when the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues. But first, Lockdown listeners, when it comes to getting or staying in shape, nothing feels as good as that feeling of accomplishment, of hitting your fitness goals and feeling

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Bets wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, if you are a fan of Locked On Patriots, then it's probably a pretty safe assessment that you're also a fan of my guest today. At least I know I am. Her wit and wisdom are a staple here on the podcast, and hers is a voice and accent that you all know well. If you don't already, folks, trust me, you soon will.

From West Midlands in the UK, the UK correspondent of Patriots 4th and 2, the newest voice of 1 and 2 Patriots plays, and a special contributor and columnist and colleague of mine at Full Press Coverage Patriots, has demonstrated in her column a Claire perspective. It is my honor to welcome the Countess of Clas herself, Claire Clasie Claire Cooper to Locked On Patriots. Thank you, Claire, so much for joining me today from across the pond. And welcome back to the pod. Thank you so much, Mike. What an introduction. How long was that introduction as well?

Oh, my gosh. We came in under a minute, so we're still doing pretty good. No, all kidding aside, it is so well deserved. At the risk of sounding condescending, which I assure you folks I'm not, I'm so proud of the success that you're enjoying. I'm so happy for you. And really, it is truly my honor, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, to welcome you here today.

What better day to welcome you on to Locked On Patriots than a day I've designated here on the pod as tight end Thursday. Claire, there was no one else who could possibly join me for this discussion. I mean, you have a passion for the position and you have a deep level of knowledge that our listeners will absolutely be appreciating today. I have no doubt about that. So let's get to it. Tight end was a big need for the Patriots heading into the 2020 NFL season. And when the team selected Devin Asiasi out of UCLA and Dalton Keene out of Virginia Tech with third round picks, a lot of people started to get that hope once again, that the Patriots had maybe found two diamonds in the rough, maybe their next two great tight end

set. We heard a lot of the names of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez thrown around and people were thinking this could be the next great tight end tandem. Well, neither player really did. This position didn't make an immediate splash in the offense. And I think both of their upsides in 2021 is going to be tied to what offseason personnel changes are going to be made in New England. And we'll get to that in a moment, folks. But the Patriots rely pretty heavily on a veteran this season. And it's a player that we all know, folks, that Claire holds in very high regard. And that is Ryan Izzo.

And like you, Claire, I also like Ryan. I've been a Ryan Izzo apologist here on the airwaves several times. Maybe not to your level, but I think the kid did the best he could. And I think he was really asked to play a role that he just wasn't suited for. I mean, we talked offline about this. I mean, it's kind of like asking someone that drives a sedan for a living to go out and to just hop behind the wheel of an 18 wheel tractor truck. You just, you can't do that.

You have to be trained for it. You have to be conditioned for it. And I don't think Ryan necessarily had enough time to be able to grow into that role, but I think he did the best he could look. His stats are not going to wow anyone. 13 receptions, 199 yards, no touchdowns. His best statistical game, believe it or not, came on a loss against the Houston Texans in week 11 targeted three times, two catches for 59 yards. Injuries played a big role in his lack of production i can't say that enough ryan did have his injuries this year but because you are rapidly rising in the ranks of

tight end experts among all of us here in football media and i said i don't say that tongue in cheek folks i say that with every bit of reverence it really claire knows her stuff when it comes to tight ends i think there is at best and i probably going to upset you when I say this, but I think there is, at best, only a minute chance that Izzo is back in New England next season, based on what the Patriots need to do in this offseason. But in your opinion, is there a reason why he should be? Why he should be staying in New England? Yes, because he's my favorite

there we go folks right there end of discussion bill belichick just got the memo it's claire's favorite and bill is going to hold a press conference tomorrow going well we had to bring him back it's just what had to be done claire told us we had to bring him back so we had to bring him back here's what it is on the 2021 I mean I know Izzo wasn't well liked I mean I do think he had a bad rep put out by some sports media and I know that he's not a you know a favorite with the fans like you said his statistics aren't actually that bad um and it's difficult when he's had to step up and basically fill the shoes of you know probably the greatest tight end ever and he was never going to be given a chance by everyone just because he's not grunk um he did a lot more blocking than many have actually given him credit for he's receiving stats are low but heck all the Patriots receiving stats are low you know the quarterback didn't

throw very much it is unfortunate as you touched on he was plagued with injuries his first year so maybe we haven't been able to see him to his full ability anyway um do you believe that coach sees something there and bottom line we all need that player to get behind and when Gronk retired Izzo he was my rebound and I remained loyal and I made no bones about that and I always admitted that and I always tried to look at him in an objective way when he did play great I would admit that but I also will give him credit for when he did do well when other people maybe not so much I mean I know he's not Gronk statistics he's nowhere near

and I'm realistic on his abilities being maybe like a mid-range I just think he's not bronc statistics he's nowhere near and I'm realistic on his abilities being maybe like a mid-range I just think he's been sold as much less and I just think that's unfair I agree with you on uh Ryan in every aspect look bottom line it's very difficult to replace a legend we saw Cam Newton who has all of the pedigree, the resume behind him, all of the accolades that the media has given to him, the skill that he brings to the field, and also just the ability that he has to handle the media, to handle the type of scrutiny, come in and try to replace a legend in Tom Brady. It's not easy. You're looking at someone like Ryan Izzo, who is not a superstar,

replacing someone who is arguably the greatest at the position that ever played the game. So to have to do that and to have to do that makeshiftly when you were expecting maybe a little bit more help from the rookies or maybe even a couple of veterans on the team. We're going to get to one of those in just a moment. I just wanted to expound upon your point about Ryan Izzo because, again, I think he did the best he could with what he had. His blocking was better than people will give him credit for. He threw some key blocks that allowed Cam Newton to be able to free up,

get some room. He was a solid addition along that offensive line when he needed to block. Were there times where he missed blocks? Yes. There were a few times, and there were a few times where he missed badly, but I think that's true of any tight end. If you're relying on them to be a primary blocker, then it means your offensive line might not be doing its job, and then you have different problems, and the Patriots certainly didn't have that problem this year. So whether it's in New England, whether it's not, I think Ryan

faces still a pretty bright future in the NFL. And the reason why I just think there's a minute chance is because I think the Patriots are going to have to allocate resources to so many other holes they have on this roster. And they may end up having a log jam at tight end, especially if they make a move in free agency or through the draft that I think we're going to make. And again, folks, that's a teaser. We're going to get Claire's opinion on that just as well. But Claire, there is a forgotten option for the Patriots at tight end. And I know it's not forgotten to you, but it is forgotten for a lot of people in the fan base. And it's a player that didn't suit up for the Patriots in 2020,

yet he is under contract for the Pats in 2021. And that's Matt Lacoste. Matt played in 11 games last season in New England. He totaled 13 receptions, 131 yards, one touchdown. That was in 2019. He was expected to compete for a roster spot alongside Ryan Izzo this year in training camp, meaning 2020. He had signed a two-year contract, $3.8 million contract with the patriots in march 2019 now the second year of that contract which he was scheduled to earn a base salary of 1 million dollars thanks to the pat's cat for that

one um it's now going to toll to the 2021 season because he opted out for uh covid 19 concerns claire do you believe that barring a release could he be on the veteran depth chart option that the patriots might consider keeping on roster especially if they decide that they might be better off with lacoste rather than iso see this one i do find tricky um as you pointed out you threw out the figures there that that i'd already made a note so yeah i don't need to drop my fingers he was injured for some of 2019 as well he didn't play all the games because of injury so we didn't see a lot of production as you said I mean he opted out in 2020 so you know no

disrespect for him to doing that none of the players um but we've got this veteran with a year left on contract we've got a rookie or two rookies that hopefully gain some more momentum. And although we need depth, I think we need to add someone new. I just don't think Lacoste is the depth. I mean, if we do keep one of our veterans, if you say, Izzo or Lacoste, for a start, as you pointed out, Lacoste is more expensive. He's 1.3 million, as you said, from Pat's gap. So if we were to drop him there's a a million over a million gap that we've got and Izzo I think he's still on his what's classed as his rookie contract I may be incorrect so you know please don't write in and shout at me but um I think he's still on his

rookie contract and he's just um 850k I believe so he's got one year left on that so for a start if we're going to keep a veteran who's been in the Patriots system Izzo is cheaper we haven't got many statistics to compare with the two of them because you know we didn't have a lot of production with the Titans in 2020 but more to do with who we had at centre you can't have a lot of production if you don't have somebody who throws it to them and like you said Lacoste's production in 2019 was was quite you know low really so to compare the two trying to put aside obviously my affection for Izzo looking at it as a numbers just just on numbers Izzo's the cheaper option anyway so And he's already in the system from 2020. So whereas Lacoste having his opt-out year,

I'm not saying he's detached from the team, don't get me wrong, but you've just maybe lost some consistency with the team, with the changes in coaching, that kind of thing that you've had there. Matt's been out for that year, but Izzo hasn't, he's been around. So to me, it seems like if they are going to keep one, I can't see why you'd keep Lacoste over Izzo at this point.

Again, I agree with you. And it's not just because I'm trying to agree with my guest here, folks. I absolutely agree with your point. And look, bottom line, Matt Lacoste put up very similar statistics. We read the statistics back, and I know you did your homework on that as well, to what Ryan Izzo gave you in 2020. For everyone that wants to make the argument that the Patriots fell so far off in tight end production from 2020 from 2019, they really didn't. The two tight end ones, when you thought about it, Matt Lacoste was their primary option in 2019 Izzo was their primary option in 2020 and they put up very similar numbers minus the one touchdown so at this point when you look at what Ryan brought to the table if they are going to

keep a veteran option around why not keep someone that is the cheaper option that is fresh that did play this year that might be able to give you a little bit more. So in terms of Matt Lacoste, he was on my roster bubble last year when it came to guys that could possibly make this roster. I thought maybe Izzo had a better shot to make it than Lacoste did in 2019. I certainly believe that now, and I think that might end up being the case.

So great assessment. I'm glad that you brought Matt Lacoste back into the collective consciousness of Patriots Nation, because I think he is a forgotten man. One, I do have to give to some. Sorry, I do have to give some credit to a locked on listener for that question. Actually, we really should give credit to Lee for bringing that one for tagging that one onto the end of it. So I must thank Lee for that that one, for tagging that one onto the end of it. So I must thank Lee for that question, really. Absolutely. And Lee, if you're listening, and I know you're listening today, thank you very much for all of your support to Lockdown Patriots and for providing Claire with that little bit of insight, because I think that was something that needed to be brought to the

table. You don't see an awful lot of media outlets covering Matt Lacoste right now because of what happened in 2019. Maybe we'll bring it back to their collective consciousness and let everyone know that Izzo may be that best option out of the two of them. Claire, coming into 2020, we mentioned the rookies earlier, and I had very high hopes for Dalton Keene. To me, he looked like such a versatile player. Watching some of the footage that I saw from his days at Virginia Tech, I thought that maybe Virginia Tech had underutilized him and that Bill Belichick could get the most of him, even as a rookie.

I saw him used as a wing, as an H-back, a fullback, really an upside to contribute either as a blocker or a receiver. I just love the versatility that he gave you. But Dalton never quite rounded into the player that I hoped he'd be. He finished the 2020 season with just three catches on five targets, 16 yards in only six games. And again, injury was a big part of that, and I'm not going to ignore it, but Dalton really, I think, showed some difficulty in grasping the Patriots playbook. And he fell out of favor very quickly in their offensive game plan. Now, some, myself included, have speculated that Dalton might be a primary option to line up more at fullback this season, especially if the team decides to part ways with

one of the two, either Danny Vitale or Jakob Johnson. Again, Vitale opted out of the 2019 contract. He's back for 2020. Sorry for the 2020 contract. He's back for 2021. But in my opinion, I don't think Keane has really shown that he's capable of unseating either of those players. Vitale comes in with a lot of promise and someone I think a lot of people were looking forward to seeing what he could do in New England. And then you look at the year that Jakob Johnson had, and I thought he played very well at fullback this year. Claire, what are your thoughts on the future of Dalton Keane here in New England, whether it be a tight end or maybe lining up at fullback?

I completely agree with what you just said. I mean, not to just be all agreeing today, folks, but yeah, I do really agree. Unfortunately, there just wasn't any numbers there and like you said he just didn't quite look comfortable as a tight end he I had high hopes coming in he was he was actually the tight end I'd actually pinned my hopes on when coming in then he took the 44 number and like you said he was utilised way more as a fullback and a H-back in college and and that's where he played. Maybe that's really where he excelled more so,

and that's what Bill saw in him. So he's taken him but chipped him in tight end because we were so lacking. I really want to give this guy more of a chance. He's young. We drafted him. He hasn't had the chance to show much. Like I we had playing time it's always difficult to assess guys when they don't have very much playing time like you said he also had injury issues so it's it's difficult to judge a guy just on on a small snippet of what you see I really like the idea of keeping him as a fullback HVAC and actually

taking him off the tight end roster simply because that gives us more flexibility to get more tight endage in so you know I'm a happy bunny but seriously though on a more serious note I think I don't really think we should utilize him as a tight end I think we should move again move on from him I don't think we should move on from him as a player just as a player as a tight end I'm really hoping that maybe um he can be kept in the aspect of fullback and HBAC like you I was really excited to see Danny Vitale and see what he could bring to the fullback position Johnson has done really well so then you're starting to really stack stack up a list of who you want to keep with vitale having the opt-out will he definitely come back i don't

know if that's really been clarified yet because um i don't know if there's been if they're just real rumors really because the season might still have some covid effects is everybody who opted out going to be opting back in i guess at this time we don't really know so if he doesn't come back maybe we can utilize keen in the fullback position maybe we can see if he does flourish and we get the the rollback from him in in that respect and then we can have our little tight end slot and i can be really happy too well again it's all about pleasing the countess of class and i'm kidding i'm kidding but no all kidding aside uh i think you're you're onto something there and look with dalton keen i agree with you i think it's way too

early to give up on this kid so much of what we heard coming out of virginia tech when he was drafted by the patriots is not just his versatility on the field, but his willingness to work behind the scenes, his willingness to put in the time that it needs to be a part of something special. Bill Belichick clearly saw something in him, and I think he's going to owe it to himself to at least give him another year to prove that before you start to maybe take a look and say, well, this kid's not what we thought he was, or maybe it's just not going to work out. I think he will see more snaps as an H-back or a fullback this year, because I think that's what he's more suited for than to be a traditional in-line tight end. And speaking of that additional in-line tight end, we're going to get to that in

just a moment, because our guest today is truly in her element. Claire, you're delivering on every cylinder right now, and I, for one, am loving it. But we've really only scratched the surface on what the primary option will be for the Patriots at tight end this year. Fear not, folks, because Claire and I are about to dive into that very subject. Is New England's tight end one for 2021 on this roster currently? Or will the Patriots have to go outside of the organization to find that player? More on this tight end Thursday when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle, why would you

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on this tight end Thursday episode of Locked On Patriots. And Claire, we've discussed your favorite Ryan Izzo. We've discussed a little bit about maybe the forgotten man on this depth chart in Matt Lacoste. We've even talked a little bit about Dalton Keene and his role as either a fullback or H-back or possibly a tight end coming into 2021. But if we're being honest, the Patriots' expectations for this position jumped a little bit higher when the Pats decided in the third round to select UCLA's Devin Asiasi. Asiasi was seen as a type of player that could come in and be that in-line

tight end, much more of a receiving threat than Dalton Keene was going to be, maybe a better pass catcher than the guys that they had on the roster, like a Lacoste or an Izzo. There were pretty high expectations for him. And I can tell you that during training camp, even though I didn't have my boots on the ground this year in Foxborough, several media members that did looked at this player and said, wow, I think they've got something here. He can definitely receive. He can definitely get out there. This kid could be something special.

And again, much like Dalton Keene, it just never materialized. Ossie Ossie logged two catches on seven targets, 39 yards and a touchdown in nine games. If it wasn't for the last game of the season where he had two catches for 39 yards and a touchdown in nine games. Um, if it wasn't for the last game of the season where he had two catches for 36 yards and a touchdown, that's that line would have looked borderline anemic. Um, so being that the last three games of the season, he did start, but he was basically a non-factor before that. What are your on Devin Asiassi's potential in this lineup and do you think that there's enough talent there that might see him be the tight end one for the Patriots in 2021 or maybe even a year or two beyond that well Asiassi is a guy going into the season

I'd heard such great stuff I hadn't seen his college tapes that kind of thing so I was going on what other people were telling me. But I did hear a lot. There were a lot of people saying, you know, we know you like tight ends, Claire. You know, look out for this guy. He's going to be good. The problem is, for some reason, we just didn't get shown it. I mean, like you said, he played nine games.

And the majority of his production came in the last two games that he played of the season pretty much I mean I know tight end it's not an easy position to drop into it does take time but it also takes playing time that's why I think fans have been so frustrated it's really hard now to say he's a tight end one I mean I personally don't think he is right now when I say right now I mean kind of looking at it from the end of the season we've just finished really last regular season he may be our future tight end one I just feel it seems a little bit way too early he might just need more time in the system he might need a you know a more should we say normal in inverted commas season in the NFL to for us to really see but as it stands right now I just don't think he looked like a tight end one

I don't think we should move away from him don't get me wrong you know I'm not ready to cut to him don't get me wrong I just I personally don't think I could put tight end one against his name no and I think that's going to be a tough argument for a lot of people to make. Look, I was another one that was high on Devin Asiasi. I liked this blend of size, speed, and length displayed some pretty good athleticism showed some upside as a

route runner. And I thought he had pretty good hands above average body control, which I think is what the Patriots really locked into as, as someone that, that could be an impact player in this lineup. Look, you can't deny that quarterback play may have contributed to this. And, you know, finding open guys, we saw Asiasi open a few times and simply he just wasn't hit. That might have been by design. That might have been, you know, just Cam struggling with picking up the blitz. We noticed that whenever he was blitzed, Asiasi had a chance to shake open a little bit.

Cam wasn't able to find him, and I'm not putting this on Cam's shoulders. Believe me, I put this on the players' shoulders ultimately, but there are a lot of factors that can contribute. I happen to think you're right. I don't think Devin is tight end one this year, and I don't see that happening at all. Could he develop into that role? I think the talent is there. And that really leads me quite nicely into my final question for you today, Countess of Clas herself. And that is the future of the tight end position for the New England Patriots. And if it's not Devin Asiasi, or it's not Dalton Keene, or it's not, with all due respect, Countess, Ryan Izzo or Matt Lacoste, the Patriots are going to need a tight end one. They're going to need to bring in an option. And they're almost certain to test the free agent market for available tight ends.

They might even dip into trades. They might dip into the draft as well. You know me. I've been very vocal about my desire to see Hunter Henry find his way to Foxborough, covered him in Los Angeles, love this kid from the day he was drafted, great size, great ability to block. He can run routes crisply. He has sure hands. To me, that makes him the ideal target for the Patriots in this off season. And we all know that Bill Belichick really likes him a lot. So that has to count for something. Another great option is John Smith. I don't mean to slight him at all when I gush over

Hunter Henry simply because I've had the chance to cover Hunter. But John Smith would look very good in a Patriots uniform as well of the Tennessee Titans. It's a name we hear a lot. And there are a lot of people out there, my good friend Mark Schofield included, that have dreams of University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts in a Pats uniform. That would mean that the Patriots would definitely have to use at least that number 15 pick, or if they really zeroed in on him, they might even have to trade up to get him. Kyle is really rising in the ranks among players that could be taken early in the upcoming draft claire in your opinion do any of

these players strike your fancy as you like to say in the uk or is there someone that you're eyeing that maybe isn't being discussed enough as the potential patriots tight end in 2021 well as for wish list it's difficult for me to say i've heard such good things about car pits as you said it's been out there quite a lot he's obviously a very good guy but we do have two guys who we don't think have reached their potential in in asiasi and keen again we might slide keen over to a fullback or h back but could pit slot in and start immediately, say with Asiasi and maybe Izzo as the stable veteran? Then again, would Asiasi blossom with a veteran tight end one such as Hunter Henry? He's one of the guys that is definitely on my radar as veterans that I'd

like to see put in, to be honest with you. And like you said, Coach Bill is obviously friends with him, so he might slot in really well well although there's a chunk of cap that they would have to shell out with him so me personally i'm genuinely torn between having a legitimate veteran tight end that could give us numbers and the young shiny new first round draft pick ultimately not knowing what we have for quarterback does make that even trickier to project personally just putting my fan hat on right now just from my fan perspective I think I'd really like a veteran such as Hunter Henry to get us some numbers help bring Asi Asi out help him blossom and switching Izzo from time to time simply because I don't think we should get

rid of our what veteran we do have and like I said previously he's cheap simply because I don't think we should get rid of our what veteran we do have and like I said previously he's cheap so I don't see why we should should rid of him but that's also putting in perspective that we'd move Keane to more of a hate back um fullback position but that is basically what I would want it's not what I expect and again it's difficult to say as we don't know what we're working at from center a quarterback position without question absolutely i completely agree with you and working without knowing what's going to happen with the quarterback position is a point that really can be made with every one of these depth charts just on the offensive side of the ball anyway uh when it

comes to the old line when it comes to the running backs when it comes to the O-line, when it comes to the running backs, when it comes to the fullbacks, when it comes to the tight ends, you have to know what's going on at quarterback and know the type of signal caller that you're working with. Are you working with a mobile quarterback like a Cam Newton that's going to look to run first, utilize the zone reads, utilize the RPO, and then make the passing game a secondary part of what you do offensively,

or are you returning to a traditional pocket passer a la Tom Brady? You're not going to bring Tom back in, but is it somebody in that mode that's going to look to pass the ball first, move the football down the field? Do you need deep threats or guys that can go out, run routes, and make catches? Look, Kyle Pitts, I think, has a chance to be a generational talent here, folks. Kid has unnatural finesse for his size. He's 6'6", 246 pounds.

That's a big kid, but he moves around with such a quickness and such an ease that really it's a joy to watch. He's got great size, great athleticism, but he's got the ability to make contested catches with his hands. He can fight for a catch. He's got a toughness to him, and he does have great focus at the catch point. That makes him such a great weapon on offense. But Claire, I thought you said very eloquently, they have two young options, a tight end that are on this roster right now. And that tells me that they're probably going to go the veteran route. Again, I love Kyle Pitts. He's going to be an amazing pro, maybe one of the league's best in pretty short order. But I think the Patriots might be best served by using draft capital in other areas and take that And I love Kyle Pitts. He's going to be an amazing pro, maybe one of the league's best in pretty short order.

But I think the Patriots might be best served by using draft capital in other areas and take that veteran option at tight end. Simply because I don't know if Kyle is going to give them what they need this year in terms of blocking. And the Patriots are known to like their primary options at tight end, to put their hands in the dirt and block. And no one did that better than Rob Gronkowski. And I don't mean to bring up Rob. It's still a very, very DFC. I've upset the countess today. That's it. I'm done. I can't.

I can no longer continue my post. I have upset my deepest apologies, countess. No, seriously. It really is. I mean, Rob is probably the best ever in the NFL at blending the ability to block and the ability to receive. I mean, he was phenomenal in what he did. You're not going to replicate that.

There will never be another Rob Gronkowski. But I think a veteran option may give them a better blocking presence. And because of that, I think you may see them go that route with a Hunter Henry or a John Smith or maybe even a lesser known name that might be available out there that can come in and maybe mentor Devin Asiasi into being that that tight end one. So that's my two cents on the on the tight end position. And who better to join me today to lend a lot more a lot more gravitas and a lot more capital to that two cents than my good friend and colleague Claire, Clazzy Claire Cooper herself. Countess, please let our listeners know where they can find you, where they can always read your great work and what you have coming up on the

horizon in your search for more tight endage up here in New England and your assessment of the Patriots roster moving forward. First off, I've got to send the memo over to Bill to make sure that he keeps his in New England and your assessment of the Patriots roster moving forward well obviously first off I've got to send the memo over to Bill to make sure that he keeps his own and we drop Lacoste so I just need to make sure I type that up first before I get on with anything but if you are looking to follow me I am on Twitter I'm at Klazy Claire which is C-L-A-Z-Z-Y-C-L-A-R-E if you fancy a read of anything you'll find me at fullpresscoverage.com. At Full Press Coverage Patriots,

you'll find my column, A Claire Perspective. I think I deserve, I haven't done anything for 2021 as of yet, but you can catch up with the end of 2020 with me. I am on one Patriots place, usually on a kind of a Tuesday, Wednesday each week. We used to do two Patriots place on a Friday, which was always keys to the game.

So now it's off season. You may find me quite regularly on one Patriots place with our friends of the, of the show of locked on Thomas Murphy and Steve Balistrieri, who were around here quite regularly anyway. So yeah, I'm around. And folks, again, here quite regularly anyway so yeah i'm around and folks again uh one of the fast risers when it comes to nfl media is my guest today and i don't say that to pumper tires i say that because it's true uh you provide great wisdom and counsel not only at the tight end position but all around

when it comes to the new england patriots you have a passion for the team you have a passion for that position but you have a passion for football and it really, really shows in the great work that you do. I appreciate you taking the time out to join me here today. This was a blast. You know, you're going to find your way back here onto Locked On Patriots sooner rather than later. And we're all looking forward to it myself at the top of that list. So thank you, Claire. Have a great day, a great week. And we look forward to having you back here on Locked On Patriots really soon. Please stay safe and stay well. Thanks so much, Mike, and thanks everybody

for listening. I really appreciate all the support that I've had from Patriots fans. Just like that, Patriots Nation, we are almost at the end of your work week, but you know that we continue to bring the heat on a Friday here when it comes to your latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. So to be sure that you do not miss a single second of the action, download and subscribe

to the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as Spotify, Radio.com, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts, just make sure that you're staying locked into Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Claire, classy Claire Cooper, for her time, insight, and appearance today on Tight End Thursday. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage.

Until tomorrow, Patriots Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.