Jonnu Smith leaving the building didn’t mean the New England Patriots were throwing in the towel on having two dynamic pass-catching tight ends in the offense.
Newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien needs weapons to dish out damage to opposing defenses, and coach Bill Belichick went out and got him another one with former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki.
It’s a reported one-year deal for the former second-round draft pick out of Penn State.
No, Gesicki isn’t built to move bodies as a blocker, but he can sure run past them in the open field. He can basically be viewed through the scope of having another receiver on the field.
Looks familiar. pic.twitter.com/0K2Dn2ugP5
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) March 17, 2023
Smooth like butter.
O’Brien can dial it up just like that to make opposing defenses cry uncle. Gesicki working alongside Hunter Henry gives the Patriots a formidable tandem at tight end to create more offensive firepower.
However, the hope is that the former Dolphin can help the Patriots improve their red zone scoring percentage, which plummeted to dead last in the league in touchdowns last season (42.2 percent).
Gesicki had back-to-back seasons with 700-plus receiving yards, before otherworldly receiver Tyreek Hill joined the roster. The 27-year-old tight end is another reliable receiving target and potential red zone weapon for quarterback Mac Jones.
In the ongoing AFC East arms race, the Patriots will definitely need him.
