The New England Patriots needed depth at the tight end position and they got it, but at what cost? The Patriots finalized a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to acquire the young Tim Wright, sending Pro Bowler Logan Mankins in his place. While acquiring Wright certainly helps the Patriots with depth behind Rob Gronkowski who might not be as healthy as assumed, but the offensive line takes a big hit with Mankins gone. Tom Brady is not happy.
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Brady is not happy the Patriots traded away Mankins as he believes it hurts their offense in the long run. The trade of Mankins is a slight head scratcher considering his talent and ability to anchor the offensive line. Head coach Bill Belichick always appears to be a step ahead of everyone, so many NFL analysts assumed he just knows something everyone else does not.
According to multiple NFL sources (reported by Pro Football Talk) the Patriots wanted Mankins to take a pay cut. He was scheduled to make $6.25 million this year and $6.75 million the two years afterwards. They asked Vince Wilfork to make a similar move. When Mankins turned the idea down, they traded him. Yes, the offensive line takes ah it, but Brady has another strong receiving threat that should help.
The question now becomes the status of Gronkowski. The tight end stresses he will play every game this season, but has yet to be seen taking hits on the field. Is trading for Wright a sign that he possibly is not as healthy as assumed? It could be the two are unrelated. Wright and Gronkowski are two different types of tight ends. The Patriots are hoping that Wright can take over Aaron Hernandez's old role while Gronkowski comes off the line. So who is the better fantasy pickup?
Wright finished last season with 54 catches and 571 yards for five touchdowns. The only tight end with more touchdowns than Wright in the final four weeks of the season was Jimmy Graham. Many NFL analysts see Wright has having a huge upside considering what he was able to do in the Buccaneers offense that was in shambles last year. Gronkowski's health will likely not factor into the value of Wright, but for owners looking for a mid-round pickup, the tight end could be a huge points grabber this season.