At this stage, though, Sudfeld's skill set more closely resembles Aaron Hernandez than Gronkowski, and replacing the latter of the two is about much more than just catching passes. Daniel Fells and Michael Hoomanawanui both did a significant amount of run-blocking in 2012, with each participating in over 60 percent of their snaps as a blocker.
Fells was the better overall blocking tight end of the two, especially in run-blocking situations.
Let's not forget about Jake Ballard, who was stashed on injured reserve all of 2012 and is now finally healthy and ready to play.
"Jake’s been pretty consistent all through camp," head coach Bill Belichick said Monday. "He’s been dependable on a day-to-day basis. He’s got some experience. Big guy, long, he’s got good blocking skill. He’s done a good job in the passing game. I think with him, it’s just keeping it day by day."
His role in the past has been that of a hybrid tight end, similar to Gronkowski. Ballard was regarded before training camp as the player most likely to fill Gronkowski's role, but Sudfeld's emergence catching passes from Tom Brady in training camp has led to the rookie leading the charge.
So, it seems the Patriots have more than enough options to compensate for Gronkowski's blocking abilities, while the growing legend of Sudfeld could see its most important chapter yet on September 8