Training Camp Positional Battle Preview: Tight End
It is now year two in the reconstruction of the tight end position in New England, with the Patriots excited about the future of the spot.
It was not long ago when Rob Gronkowski left the Patriots in favor of retirement. After sending the organization into a tizzy, New England may have rebounded by drafting two tight ends early on in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene are the reinforcements to what was a quiet and unproductive tight end core last year. In fact, the production from the tight end position was down right awful at points last season and played a big part in some of the offensive struggles the unit dealt with in 2019. No Gronkowski forced the Patriots to adjust on their feet and New England found themselves empty-handed at the spot.
With two new faces joining two veterans at the position, let's review the battle that will take place at tight end during training camp.
Someone Needs to Step Up
The conflict for the Patriots is that they are in some ways playing with fire at this position. A lot of things could go wrong this season at the tight end spot, with two youngsters and some rather unaccomplished veterans. Asiasi, Keene, and LaCosse all might not be ready to fill that first spot on the depth chart. In fact, more than likely, none of them are ready for that distinction. Ryan Izzo, who is entering his third year with the team, hasn't proven to be starter material either.
It is hard to expect much of anything meaningful from rookie tight ends, especially if you're asking them to start right away. Not to mention, asking them to start on a team that is in the process of morphing their offense and playbook on a shortened offseason. While this doesn't rule out the possibility of either Asiasi or Keene or both producing highly as rookies, it is tough to have high expectations.
Aside from the rookies, LaCosse, as briefly mentioned before, was a frequently injured and rather unreliable and inconsistent part of the offense last season. Though there were times during the season where he made some great standout plays in both the receiving and blocking game, he frequently matched that energy with equally unimpressive plays too. While it would be fair to say that LaCosse could be a candidate to show up at camp and improve from last season, the question is whether it would even be enough to make the team, let alone earn a starting spot.
Someone out of this trio needs to step up and show they can be the main contributor from this position. That trio is more likely a duo, a head-to-head matchup between Asiasi and LaCosse. Keene is not a traditional tight end that would line up as the starter and go out doing what Gronkowski, Ben Watson, or LaCosse have been instructed to do over the last few seasons. Keene's role will likely be more of an H-back, maybe even spending some time out of the backfield as a fullback. When looking for a true starting tight end, his chances of becoming that are the lowest. LaCosse and Asiasi are much better candidates to be the starting tight end.
Could This Be Asiasi's Spot to Lose?
The thought process here is that the race has been narrowed down to two men. Asiasi and LaCosse are the strongest candidates to take over this role.
LaCosse is far from the kind of veteran who New England would be excited to march into Week 1 with and cement as the starter. On the flip side, Asiasi not only has a lot of upside in the receiving game, but he also can be a great target for Cam Newton, as his college usage mirrored some of the ways in which the Carolina Panthers used Greg Olsen. Newton and Olsen went on to build one of the strongest quarterback-tight end duos of the last decade. This is not to say that Asiasi is an Olsen-type player, by any stretch. But Newton could find success with Asiasi and build trust with the rookie if the offense can find ways to add that Olsen/Panthers familiarity into their own offense.
That is one interesting tidbit that makes Asiasi so much more intriguing than LaCosse. Asiasi is an exciting rookie who has been working hard this offseason, and he will have a solid career with the Patriots if he can live up to his potential. However, with all that being said, Asiasi is still just a rookie tight end who is learning a new, much more complex offense than he has ever seen. Couple that with a shortened offseason and limited exposure to coaches and teammates, and Asiasi has a tough go to start his NFL career.
As unexciting as LaCosse may seem, Asiasi could struggle to learn the offense and his blocking as a rookie could be too much of a concern to have him out there for the majority of snaps. Blocking is one thing that can frequently hinder rookie tight ends, as blocking a defensive end, in space, on an outside run can be something that challenges many rookies. When coaches are unable to put them on the field in run situations, their playing time decreases and they either become one-dimensional by only being used during passing situations (which tips play calls to opposing defenses), or they play a rather insignificant amount of snaps. All that limits their development and impact in year one, as adjusting from college tight end to pro tight end is not easy.
So as unexciting as LaCosse may seem, if Asiasi cannot be mentally prepared for the next play, or he can not hold up his end in the run game, New England may be forced to go with the veteran, LaCosse, and then sprinkle in Asiasi more and more as the season progresses.
What Both Players Will Need to do This Summer
LaCosse, in order to secure his roster spot and climb the ladder to TE1, will need to not only show improvement in both the passing game and especially as a blocker too, but he will also need to show consistency and a sharp understanding of the offense. The only real way this undrafted rookie from a few years back, a man who has already been on five different teams, can compete with a new, promising third-round pick is to show that he can handle the play calls, help out in the blocking game, and make the most of his opportunities after the catch.
If LaCosse fails to show much improvement this training camp, the chances that Asiasi marches out there week one as starter become remarkably higher. As LaCosse is more an in-case Asiasi really is not ready, in my eyes.
Asiasi needs to show that he did his homework this summer and that his work in the weight room translates into an ability to move defenders around in the run game. Asiasi was not known to be a great blocker coming into the draft. The difference will not need to be a night and day improvement where all of a sudden he is blocking like Gronkowski out there. However, if he can hold his own and help open up lanes for his backs, that should be the biggest step in the right direction to becoming the starter.
The Verdict on Who Starts
The Patriots already know that Asiasi is the best receiving tight end on the team. He is better than LaCosse in that respect, he showed more in college than Keene did, and he is miles ahead of Ryan Izzo as a receiver. But that is not necessarily what New England is looking at. It's the mentality and the blocking that could land the UCLA product on the bench behind LaCosse, or on the field, getting the majority of snaps.
It's tough to really have a verdict on who will start since we have no true knowledge of where Asiasi is in his development. The only word has been that he has been working out a lot and he has already caught passes from Newton and worked with N'Keal Harry. Training camp will truly decide who the guy will be at this position
However, I am willing to bet that Asiasi gets the starting spot come Week 1. I do believe that LaCosse will see a good amount of time on the field in the beginning of the season. A lot of the Patriots' personnel looks this season could involve two tight ends, which would put both Asiasi and LaCosse on the field.
As the season moves forward, things could change. Confidence could grow in Asiasi and LaCosse could sit more. His role could grow even more as the season moves along. However, I think Asiasi starts, but it won't be so frequent that he stands on the field as the TE1.
