The New England Patriots had major depth issues last season. The team lost Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, leaving them extremely short-handed at the tight end position. Not to mention injuries with the wide receiver corps left Tom Brady trying to make something out of nothing each week. Aiming to avoid that this year, the Patriots have brought on several receiving options and are now glancing at available tight ends before the draft.
Gronkowski told reporters that he has no clue when he will be fully healthy and on the field again. He noted that there have been no setbacks from his two surgeries to repair both an ACL and MCL tear suffered last season. He is on schedule with his rehab and expects to play in 2014. However, he says it is simply too early to tell when that will actually happen, leaving New England to formulate a backup plan.
With offseason workouts rolling along, the Patriots do not have much at the tight end position. As a result, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that free agent Dustin Keller is visiting and could reach a deal with the team if he really is medically healthy. Keller is also coming off a gruesome leg injury where he dislocated his right knee while also tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL. It took place in the preseason after he took a helmet to the knee so he is much farther along in his recovery than Gronkowski. Keller's agent insists that his client is "ready to go" and could step on the field with no issues.
New England is trusting the agent and bringing the tight end in for an assessment. Keller could still be a threat if healthy. He averaged 48 catches a year in five seasons with the New York Jets. He joined on with the Miami Dolphins but never got to play after the injury. Keller would be an excellent addition to the New England offense whether Gronkowski is healthy or not. He gives Brady an option over the middle during offseason workouts and training camp and creates depth during the year. If he passes a physical, a deal could be made before the draft.
The Patriots have also been linked to Jermichael Finley, but he has yet to be medically cleared and is hoping this next round of x-rays comes out fine and draws up some interest. If Keller pass a physical but is not offered a deal from the Patriots, the Miami Dolphins could consider re-signing him. The Atlanta Falcons might also be interested after losing Tony Gonzalez to retirement.