Earlier this year, the New England Patriots acquired Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett in exchange for a fourth round draft pick. It marked the team’s second high-profile offseason transaction following the trading of Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals.
Martellus Bennett’s Impact During Tom Brady Suspension
The addition of Bennett to the New England group of pass catchers could give the team a tight end duo that the NFL has not seen since earlier this decade. It was then that the Patriots utilized both Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to create mismatches in the pass game that ultimately helped them to Super Bowl XLVI. While Hernandez’s NFL career has since infamously ended, All-Pro Gronkowski still carries the New England tight end corps. However, there are factors that may limit Bennett’s initial production with the Patriots during Brady’s absence.
Importance of Experience and Pre-Snap Awareness
The Patriot offense relies heavily upon a diagnosis of the defensive alignment prior to the snap. The quarterback reacts by choosing the best matchup, making pre-snap adjustments, or sometimes a combination of the two. There is no quarterback better at this than Brady, and Jimmy Garoppolo has had two years to learn from the veteran.
However, the best practice is real-game experience, of which Garoppolo has little to none. He has thrown only 31 pass-attempts in regular season action, and hasn’t spent enough time analyzing defenses to put the pieces around him in the best position to make plays. If Garoppolo is unable to master the pre-snap adjustments that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels relies upon to move the offense, Bennett will not be the only offensive player whose production dips early in the season.
Lack of Dynamic Playmakers
Opposing defenses know that the New England offense runs through Gronkowski, and will look to see if Garoppolo has developed chemistry with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola or Bennett. With Edelman’s foot injury and Bennett’s new acquisition, it will be difficult for Garoppolo to establish a rapport with either receiver.
If it appears that he has not, expect defensive coordinators to put extra defenders in the box and double-team Gronkowski. They will dare Garoppolo to pass, creating long days for the New England offense as they lack dynamic wide receiver and running back talent to impact the game in Brady’s absence.
Need for a Productive Arm
Many of the recent best tight ends have also had Pro Bowl-quality quarterbacks throwing them the ball. The quarterbacks of tight ends such as Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Greg Olsen, Gronkowski and Tony Gonzalez read like a “Who’s who” of elite NFL signal callers. They have all enjoyed the fruits of having a quarterback who can put the ball in tight windows and allow them to make big plays.
Even consistent tight ends such as Bennett and Heath Miller have benefitted from productive arms under center. It is impossible to foresee how Garoppolo will perform in his short tenure during the Brady suspension, but it is optimistic to say that he will be even an above average starter during that time.
Tight Ends Need Time to Develop
One of the most complex positions in the NFL is the tight end. Offensive schemes require them to run routes from all over the field and to block on running plays and passing downs. Bennett and Gronkowski are both heralded as being two of the most complete receiving and blocking tight ends in the game. But that does not change the fact that Bennett must still learn the New England playbook and his responsibilities in all facets of the offense.
This can be a daunting task for any player, and tight ends famously take a year or two to develop before breaking out (see: Travis Kelce, Jordan Reed). They also do not always succeed when introduced to a new offense. The newly acquired Julius Thomas and Graham both have been unable to make a major impact on their respective teams, despite the productive Jacksonville and Seattle offenses. While all the news out of New England points to Bennett picking up the offense and creating chemistry with his teammates, other big-name tight ends have struggled early with their new teams.
Versatility
This is not to say that Bennett will not make any impact with the Patriots early on in the season. His ability to play as both a receiver and blocker will give the Patriots more versatility on the offensive side of the ball that McDaniels loves to use to his advantage. Bennett will likely not produce big numbers with Garoppolo under center. But his presence should allow more opportunities for the Patriots to disguise their play calls in two tight end formations and take the pressure off their young quarterback. When Brady returns in Week 5 against Cleveland, look for Bennett to play a larger role in the offense as the veteran puts himself in the best positions to exploit opposing defenses and put up big numbers.
