Yes, Asiasi and Keene Are Flops

[Wozzy]

It's insufferable

When Dalton Keene was drafted he wasn’t old enough to buy a beer. Then he played minimally with the worst starting QB in the NFL at the toughest position in football to transition from college to the pros... bust.

I suggest prozac or maybe just getting some sunshine.

 

[Kontradiction]

I’d love to know the reasoning behind these picks. It was a really weak TE draft and Bill decides to use two picks on the position just before spending top dollar in FA at the same position.

 

[Pats1971]

When Dalton Keene was drafted he wasn’t old enough to buy a beer. Then he played minimally with the worst starting QB in the NFL at the toughest position in football to transition from college to the pros... bust.

I suggest prozac or maybe just getting some sunshine.

All that is true, but then that does not explain why Belichick pretty much tossed them by spending a ton of money to replace them. So while you make a good point that both of them could be something, it also says that Belichick did not think so.

 

[RobertWeathers]

When Dalton Keene was drafted he wasn’t old enough to buy a beer. Then he played minimally with the worst starting QB in the NFL at the toughest position in football to transition from college to the pros... bust.

I suggest prozac or maybe just getting some sunshine.

Since when were mid round picks sure thing anyways?

 

[Pats1971]

I’d love to know the reasoning behind these picks. It was a really weak TE draft and Bill decides to use two picks on the position just before spending top dollar in FA at the same position.

Weird thing is not that long ago we also needed TE's, but we didnt draft any and Bill didnt go get any in Free agency either. It was 2019. Then he drafts two and then gets two more with money he has never spent on that position ever.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I’d love to know the reasoning behind these picks. It was a really weak TE draft and Bill decides to use two picks on the position just before spending top dollar in FA at the same position.

Hoping to get lucky. Seemed like a potential fit and decent upside.

I think fans are overthinking it

 

[RobertWeathers]

Weird thing is not that long ago we also needed TE's, but we didnt draft any and Bill didnt go get any in Free agency either. It was 2019. Then he drafts two and then gets two more with money he has never spent on that position ever.

Gronk and AH were paid top dollar. So was Marty Bennett

 

[billdog3484]

well, I don know if they're flops, but signing 2 tight ends isn't exactly a ringing endorsement

 

[Wozzy]

Since when were mid round picks sure thing anyways?

The Pats on average carry 3 TE’s and a FB, so let’s say 4 TE’s. The average NFL career lasts three years, the washout rate is obscene. Say Jonnu and Henry are locks, that leaves two more roster spots they need filling. The nature of the draft says one of their two TE’s might make it.

Why did BB spend to sign the two best TE’s in free agency? Because the team is really freakin smart, read the tea leaves and knew the new TV deal money kicks in in two years. They used 2020 to clear cap, they had vet deals expiring knowing they would reload in 2021.

“Have you seen the movie ‘The Big Short’? That’s how they treated this free agency,” said Henry Organ, who represents new Pats wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. “They saw this opportunity coming from a mile away.”

 

[Betterthanmost]

1) We used two top draft picks (3rd rounders) to secure our TE's of the future with contracts through 2023.

2) One year later, Belichick uses $25M a year AAV (with $46.25M guaranteed) to sign TE's for the same contract time period (actually, we have an additional year on Smith's contract.

3) How can the conclusion be anything other than Belichick believed that he change his past evaluation and secure two new TE's?

4) Yes, I expect one our two 2020 3rd rounders to make the team as a #3 TE, or TE/FB/HB. They beat out Izzo and will beat out LeCosse. That is a truly awful return on two 3rd rounders.

I disagree. Izzo and LaCosse were not good enough. These two need more time to develop. There is still potential. These TEs we have gotten does not mean it is the end of the road for Asiasi and Keene. we are about to have four TEs on the field and just stomp everybody in our way. I am very excited to see how they will use all these pieces.

 

[jah]

Eh. I don't like the amount of pushback on what is absolutely a correct point. You can't say these picks are "incomplete" grades when we very clearly already replaced them.

At the same time, the fact that they're both 3rd round busts should be considered a mundane occurrence that does not serve as an indictment of Bill the GM. The failure rate of draft picks is what it is. I wouldn't have started an entire thread about it, but it's undeniably true what OP is saying.

 

[Wozzy]

Eh. I don't like the amount of pushback on what is absolutely a correct point. You can't say these picks are "incomplete" grades when we very clearly already replaced them.

At the same time, the fact that they're both 3rd round busts should be considered a mundane occurrence that does not serve as an indictment of Bill the GM. The failure rate of draft picks is what it is. I wouldn't have started an entire thread about it, but it's undeniably true what OP is saying.

They got cut, I hadn’t heard?

 

[RobertWeathers]

The Pats on average carry 3 TE’s and a FB, so let’s say 4 TE’s. The average NFL career lasts three years, the washout rate is obscene. Say Jonnu and Henry are locks, that leaves two more roster spots they need filling. The nature of the draft says one of their two TE’s might make it.

Why did BB spend to sign the two best TE’s in free agency? Because the team is really freakin smart, read the tea leaves and knew the new TV deal money kicks in in two years. They used 2020 to clear cap, they had vet deals expiring knowing they would reload in 2021.

“Have you seen the movie ‘The Big Short’? That’s how they treated this free agency,” said Henry Organ, who represents new Pats wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. “They saw this opportunity coming from a mile away.”

....and they are still $15m under the cap

 

[Wozzy]

....and they are still $15m under the cap

The negative nancy’s truly believe BB could have spent the kind of money he did this offseason at any point over the last twenty years, but didn’t because he chose not to... it’s laughable.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

Asiasi looked pretty good toward the end of last season. He can run-catch-block, he's gonna have a good career, and we need 3 TE's. Much less sure about Keene, I don't recall him doing anything.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

He did, but then why go out and spend huge money on two TE's then?

The same reason that he went out and traded for Randy Moss after signing Welker, Stallworth, and Washington: the opportunity was there and the price made sense to him. [And this year, Belichick had what was, for him, a unique scenario: he's never had as large a percentage of total salary cap space as he did this year, and not using it was tantamount to losing the advantage.]

In any case, Belichick made special reference to knowing that Keene was a raw prospect compared to what they expected of him.

 

[DarrylS]

Since when were mid round picks sure thing anyways?

Since when are any draft picks sure things??

Between the two of them they have 12 targets and 5 receptions.. not sure you can make much of an assessment on either one of these guys...

 

[RobertWeathers]

Since when are any draft picks sure things??

Between the two of them they have 12 targets and 5 receptions.. not sure you can make much of an assessment on either one of these guys...

You can't. Immediate gratification society here...

 

[scott99]

Asiasi can be TE3 and Keene can be HBack.

BB saw an opportunity to upgrade the position. That simple.

I think Asiasi is pretty much a lock for TE3. I think he definitely has some talent and a future. Unfortunately, both Henry AND Smith have had injury histories, I doubt either will stay completely healthy during the duration of their contracts. I hope they do, but we’ll see. Keene is the biggest long shot to make the team. He also is talented, and I think he can play in this league, I think wherever he winds up, it’ll be as a traditional TE, not an Hback.

 

[SlowGettingUp]

Belichick has stated a number of times that tight end is the second hardest position to play in the Patriots’ offense, behind quarterback.

Asiasi and Keene faced the most difficult rookie season ever.

So yes, the free agent signings are not a vote of confidence, but not all hope for the pair is yet lost. I'm betting that Asiasi at least finds his way onto the roster, and Keene clearly has a shot.
If we are moving to a two tight end package as our default, then likely need four on the roster, with Keene perhaps doing duty as a halfback too.