{"id":63224,"date":"2019-04-10T23:03:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T03:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=63224"},"modified":"2019-04-11T05:58:39","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T09:58:39","slug":"how-austin-seferian-jenkins-fits-the-new-england-patriots-offense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/04\/10\/how-austin-seferian-jenkins-fits-the-new-england-patriots-offense\/","title":{"rendered":"How Austin Seferian-Jenkins Fits the New England Patriots Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New England Patriots<\/a> made a minor splash on Wednesday when they signed<\/a> tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins<\/a><\/strong> to a one-year deal. His arrival is a welcome one, as New England needs tight end help following\u00a0Rob Gronkowski<\/a><\/strong>‘s retirement. Seferian-Jenkins isn\u2019t anywhere close to as good as Gronkowski, but the five-year NFL veteran has the ability to play a role on the team.<\/p>\n

Breaking Down Austin Seferian-Jenkins In the New England Patriots’ Offense<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Seferian-Jenkins enters the 2019 season with a relatively unimpressive 116 receptions for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns over five seasons. The Washington product only has one season with over 21 receptions and 350 yards. On the surface, Seferian-Jenkins doesn’t appear to add anything to the passing game.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s easy to explain away Seferian-Jenkins\u2019 lack of offensive production. Since entering the league Seferian-Jenkins has had to deal with some of the worst quarterbacking possible. During his career, the tight end has caught passes from Josh McCown<\/a>, Mike Glennon<\/a>, Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a>, Bryce Petty<\/a>, <\/strong>and Blake Bortles<\/a><\/strong>. This isn\u2019t exactly an elite group of quarterbacks, and all those names pale in comparison to Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong>. Brady has turned mediocre pass-catchers into key pieces before, and he could do the same if Seferian-Jenkins has even the slightest bit of ability.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the advanced stats show that Seferian-Jenkins has what it takes to get open, at least in small doses. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the tight end averaged 3.0 yards of separation on his routes over his past two seasons. By comparison, Rob Gronkowski only averaged 2.9. Seferian-Jenkins obviously isn\u2019t Gronkowski, but he’s good enough to beat linebackers in coverage. Additionally, his 6\u20195\u201d, 262-pound frame allows him to box out smaller defenders and haul in contested passes.<\/p>\n

The biggest problem with Seferian-Jenkins is his complete lack of consistency. While he shows flashes of promise, he\u2019s yet to put it all together in the passing game. Bad quarterbacking can only explain away so much, as he has the raw tools to be one of the better receiving tight ends in the league. If the Patriots can harness his natural talents, New England may have found a huge steal late in free agency.<\/p>\n

Run Game\u00a0Contributions<\/h3>\n

Of course, catching passes is only one part of the job description. New England is one of the most run-heavy teams in football, meaning tight ends need to block in the trenches. Fortunately, Seferian-Jenkins was one of the better run blockers in the league last year. Injuries limited Seferian-Jenkins to just five games, but Pro Football Focus rated him as the sixth-best run-blocking tight end in the league last year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that this run-blocking production was something of an anomaly. By and large, Seferian-Jenkins hasn\u2019t been anything special as a run blocker. Pro Football Focus rated him as a below-average run blocker in three of his past four seasons, so 2018 could have been a fluke. Only time will tell, but Seferian-Jenkins has the build hold his own in the trenches.<\/p>\n

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Career Run Blocking Grades for Austin Seferian-Jenkins:<\/p>\n

2018 – 73.0 on 80 snaps as a run blocker
2017 – 59.6 on 219 snaps
2016 – 39.3 on 64 snaps
2015 – 57.6 on 50 snaps
2014 – 71.2 on 146 snaps<\/p>\n

— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) April 10, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n