Report: Patriots Showing Interest in Free-Agent TE Delanie Walker
After tight end Matt LaCosse opted out of the 2020 season, the New England Patriots could use a veteran in their very young tight end room. That may be why they have shown interest in veteran tight end Delanie Walker, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
If the Patriots don't bring in another tight end, then they will be forced to thrust either Devin Asiasi or Dalton Keene - both who are rookies - into a starting role this upcoming season, with the likelihood that both will play a large amount of snaps. That's why bringing in someone like Walker, who has a bevy of experience in the NFL, would be a good decision by a Patriots team that has plenty of cap space to work with after eight players on the team opted out over the past week.
Walker has been in the league since 2006 and over the course of his career has accumulated 504 receptions for 5,888 yards and 36 touchdowns. He missed all of last season due to a lingering ankle injury, and has spent the last seven seasons in Tennessee. He will enter the 2020 season at 35 years old.
As an effective pass-catcher and blocker, if New England were to sign Walker he would likely be the "starter," but the snaps would be distributed to some degree between him and the two rookies.
