On Wendsday, the Green Bay Packers waived tight end Martellus Bennett for reportedly failing to disclose information on a team physical. One day passes, and the Patriots bring back Bennett a year removed from his outstanding year with them which resulted in a Super Bowl victory.
The New England Patriots are notorious for running their patented two tight end offense, but this season has been quite different to start.
Photo By PatsFans.com
The Patriots opted elsewhere this offseason when trading for tight end Dwayne Allen from the Colts instead of resigning Bennett. Allen has failed to record a catch the entire season and has only been targeted six times in eight games.
I like Dwayne Allen, as I think he is a legend, but I’m not sure if it’s a familiarity thing with Brady or the coaching staff isn’t giving him a big enough role, but whatever it is, zero catches is unacceptable.
The Patriots also tried implementing rookie Jacob Hollister out of Wyoming but he has also struggled filling the role. Only managing three catches for 37 yards, it’s safe to say the Patriots needed to look elsewhere for tight end No. 2.
With Bennett falling into the Patriots lap with essentially no risk, it was obvious to bring him back for another Super Bowl run. Bennett had one of his most productive seasons last year setting career highs in touchdowns and completion percentage.
The move also makes sense from a contract standpoint, as the Patriots picked up Bennett’s three-year contract with a team option for next season, so there is almost no risk financially. Bennett has also said he has been contemplating retirement after this year, so this makes the decision a lot easier for the Pats.
The Patriots rank 20th in the entire NFL in red zone scoring percentage and Martellus Bennett is going to provide so much in that category. Bennett and Rob Gronkowski are the scariest thing for defenses in the red zone, as they are two guys that can block and come off the line for a quick pass.
(Clutchpoints.com)
Last season with Bennett, the Patriots ranked in the top 10 for red zone scoring with 64 percent of red zone drives resulting in a touchdowns, compared to this season which is at 50 percent. Obviously Bennett isn’t the only reason the redzone stats are down, but he is a huge part of it.
It seems like the entire offense is taking a dip from last year. The running game has taken a huge hit as well, dropping to 18th in the league this season, opposed to the seventh place last season.
I absolutely love the move. it is such a sneaky good addition late in the season by Bill and the boys. I was actually really upset when the Patriots decided to move on from him after the Super Bowl win last season, but here we are.
Brady and Bennett had great chemistry last season and he really bailed out the Patriots after the Gronk injury. He took over the tight end spot in Gronkowski’s absence and excelled way over expectations.
I can’t wait to see Bennett and a healthy Gronk lining up on each side. Every facet of the offense is going to improve with Bennett on the field, and he’s just an overall fun guy to have around the team in general. Overall, I think it’s a great move by the Pats who are on their way to another playoff run.
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