Patriots Could Target Commanders TE

The New England Patriots could consider pursuing a Washington Commanders weapon in free agency.

Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have a lot of cap space entering the NFL offseason and are expected to be big-time players in free agency. With that cap space, there are quite a few areas the Patriots could look to improve.

New England will also have some of their own players to make decisions on. One of them is tight end Austin Hooper.

During the 2024 NFL season, Hooper played an important role within the offense alongside fellow tight end Hunter Henry. He caught 45 passes for 476 yards and three touchdowns and was a valuable asset for young quarterback Drake Maye.

Should the Patriots end up losing Hooper in free agency, they could look to target another tight end to replace him.

Could Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz be a potential target for New England this offseason?

Michael DeVito of Musket Fire suggested the idea. It's one that would make a lot of sense.

Ertz is coming off of a big year with the Commanders in 2024. He was a big-time weapon for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and could be a huge impact player for the Patriots as well.

During the 2024 season, Ertz ended up playing in 17 games. He caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns.

Even at 34-years-old, Ertz is still a key role player. There are quite a few teams who would love to have him, with Washington likely being one of them. New England could enter the picture as well.

Loaded with all the cap space that they have, the Patriots could easily offer Ertz a deal that he could not turn down. He could even be an upgrade from what Hooper was last season.

New England will need to add more talent around Maye in order to take the next step. Bringing in a piece like Ertz could be a quality move towards that goal.

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