Outside of quarterback Tom Brady, there is arguably no player more important to the New England Patriots offense than tight end Rob Gronkowski. However, Gronkowski is threatening retirement and hasn’t confirmed that he’ll play in 2018. Even if he does come back, Gronkowski has an extensive injury history and can’t be relied upon for a full 16-game season. With that in mind, the Patriots need to find another pass-catching tight end. Fortunately, Mark Andrews, a tight end out of Oklahoma, fits the bill.
Mark Andrews: A Fit with the Patriots
A Perfect Backup Plan
Obviously, Andrews would not be the number one tight end while Gronkowski is healthy. However, keeping Gronkowski healthy has been an issue. The big tight end has been banged up or unable to play at the ends of the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 seasons. Historically, when he goes down, the Patriots offense struggles.
The lone exception to this rule came in 2016. Gronkowski and Brady only played five full games together, yet the Patriots offense still thrived without him. Brady posted a league-best 28:2 touchdown to interception ratio, and ended up winning Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons. Despite Gronkowski’s absence, Brady’s 2016 was arguably the greatest season of his career.
The wheels stayed on the wagon in 2016 due to the presence of backup tight end Martellus Bennett. While he’s certainly not in the same class as Gronkowski, Bennett provided a reliable option in the passing game. The Patriots didn’t need to rewrite their offense, and the unit remained the best in the league, even without Gronkowski.
Currently, the Patriots don’t have that backup option. Six-year veteran Dwayne Allen is a solid blocker, but he has no value in the passing game. Allen finished his first season in New England with just 10 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. If Gronkowski goes down again, it’s safe to assume Allen won’t be able to carry the load.
The Pros of Mark Andrews
Andrews strengths align perfectly with what the Patriots need. While with Oklahoma, Andrews established himself as one of the best receiving tight ends in the country. He plays more fluidly than his 6’5”, 256-pound frame would suggest. In 14 games, Andrews finished his 2017 season with 62 receptions for 958 yards and eight touchdowns.
While he’s a good receiver at all levels of the field, he excels as a red zone target. In three years at Oklahoma, Andrews hauled in 22 touchdown passes on just 112 receptions. Almost 20 percent of his receptions went for points, which shows he could be a solid red zone threat in the NFL.
The Patriots offense is at its best when Gronkowski has a solid receiving threat playing alongside him. Whether that was Aaron Hernandez or Martellus Bennett, the Patriots offense has been nearly unstoppable when they have two pass-catching options.
Even when Gronkowski went down, Hernandez and Bennett were able to keep the offense up and running, albeit more so with Bennett. With Andrews, the Patriots gain that insurance.
The Weaknesses of Mark Andrews
While Andrews is a solid receiver, he remains very unpolished as a blocker. He’s like a lot of tight ends today in that he’s basically an overgrown wide receiver. However, Andrews’ catching abilities minimize the downside of his poor blocking.
When looking at the tight ends around the league, there’s only a small handful that are able to block and catch at an elite level. Gronkowski is in a league of his own, but Jason Witten and Greg Olsen also fall into this category.
Most other tight ends are either specialized blockers or receivers, and both can have great careers. Despite their limitations as blockers, Travis Kelce and Jimmy Graham are two of the top five or ten tight ends in the league. Andrews doesn’t have the ceiling of those two players, but he has a similar skill set.
Additionally, the Patriots don’t necessarily need another good blocking tight end. Sure, it would be nice to have, but it’s not necessary. Gronkowski may genuinely be the best blocking tight end in the league, and Allen is an above average blocker. If the Patriots need to run block, they can send out Allen and Gronkowski. Defenses would still have to respect the pass with Gronkowski on the field, so Allen’s presence wouldn’t make defenses know a run play is coming.
Where the Patriots Can Get Him
Currently, Andrews projects as a late second or third round pick. Some drafts have him falling into the fourth, but that seems unlikely.
New England currently holds seven selections, with two second-round picks and one late-third rounder. The Patriots love to trade down, so it’s not hard to imagine them trading one of their second-round picks to get a selection in the middle of the third round, along with some other compensation. If they do this, Andrews could be theirs for the taking.
Ultimately, Andrews is not the perfect tight end. However, the Patriots have too many other pressing needs to grab a tight end early in the draft. Instead, they should look to Andrews a little bit later. He isn’t a perfectly-rounded player, but his strengths fit perfectly with what New England needs. His weaknesses can be minimized, and New England can add another factor to the offense.
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