At long last, the tight end position has returned to Foxboro.
Multiple tight end sets have almost been an essential element of the New England Patriots under head coach Bill Belichick. However, the Pats rarely (if ever) ran such packages in 2020. In fact, the Patriots ran merely 3% of their offensive plays with two or more tight ends on the field; the lowest percentage in the NFL.
2021 promises to be much different in that regard. New England added two of the most coveted tight ends on the free agent market in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. The Pats are also welcoming back a pair of 2020 third-round selections in Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Veterans Matt LaCosse, Troy Fumagalli and David Wells round out the positional depth chart heading into training camp.