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We already have a thread advocating the return of the 2 TE offense and another talking about Chandler, and I think another about upgrading the TE position.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Antonio Gates, who is an unrestricted free agent. Yes, Gates is old. He will be 36 when training camp rolls around. His production indicates he is fading fairly fast. But used as a second tight end and expected to get 4-5 targets a game, or even as a red zone specialist? I see some value here. Gronkowski would instantly provide Gates with favorable matchups. Gates has great hands, is an excellent route runner, and is a red zone threat with 104 career TDs. While no longer a field stretcher, he would make the Patriots much more difficult to defend in 2 TE sets.
I doubt many teams would be interested in a TE who is 36 and fading towards retirement, though the Patriots might find more value in him for the aforementioned reasons. Sure, it's possible that he wants to finish his career in San Diego, but we've seen many other players part ways for various reasons...money, championships, or just looking for a team willing to give them another season. For the Chargers, outside of holding onto a face of the franchise and system familiarity, I don't see why a team far from serious contention would be aggressive in re-signing him.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Antonio Gates, who is an unrestricted free agent. Yes, Gates is old. He will be 36 when training camp rolls around. His production indicates he is fading fairly fast. But used as a second tight end and expected to get 4-5 targets a game, or even as a red zone specialist? I see some value here. Gronkowski would instantly provide Gates with favorable matchups. Gates has great hands, is an excellent route runner, and is a red zone threat with 104 career TDs. While no longer a field stretcher, he would make the Patriots much more difficult to defend in 2 TE sets.
I doubt many teams would be interested in a TE who is 36 and fading towards retirement, though the Patriots might find more value in him for the aforementioned reasons. Sure, it's possible that he wants to finish his career in San Diego, but we've seen many other players part ways for various reasons...money, championships, or just looking for a team willing to give them another season. For the Chargers, outside of holding onto a face of the franchise and system familiarity, I don't see why a team far from serious contention would be aggressive in re-signing him.