Tight ends look set to become an even bigger part of the offense for the New England Patriots after Alex Van Pelt was hired as coordinator. Unfortunately, Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki are both set to enter 2024 NFL free agency, a problem the Pats can solve by signing Dalton Schultz from the Houston Texans.
It’s an idea put forward by Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. He pointed out how “Van Pelt comes from a Browns team that ran 12 personnel (two-tight end sets) even more than New England, at more than a 20% clip, so that figures to remain a focus in New England.”
Spielberger also noted that signing Schultz would be “a similar approach” to the one the Patriots took in 2021. That was the year former head coach Bill Belichick handed bumper deals to Henry and Jonnu Smith in free agency.
Schultz’s arrival would allow the Pats to leave Hunter and Gesicki on the market. Spielberger thinks Henry would have no trouble finding a new team, with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets named as probable landing spots. Meanwhile, Gesicki is deemed a good fit for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Schultz would provide a more prolific receiver from the position. He’d also be useful as an underrated blocker.
Dalton Schultz Would Upgrade Tight End Room for Patriots
The Texans targeted Schultz 88 times this season, and he snagged 59 receptions, averaging 11 yards per catch. He also made two grabs for 37 yards and a touchdown when the Texans beat Van Pelt’s former team the Cleveland Browns in the playoffs.
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Schultz got free from an in-line alignment. He’s not the biggest at 6-foot-5 and 244 pounds, but Schutlz is no “move” tight end who makes his living split out wide or from the slot.
Instead, the 27-year-old usually thrives when “aligned tight,” something Next Gen Stats detailed after his productive 2021 season with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys have placed the franchise tag on TE Dalton Schultz.
No player has caught more touchdowns aligned tight since 2020 than Schultz (7), who also has the 3rd-most receptions (64) aligned tight over that time frame.
Playing on the line demands being able to mix it in the trenches and block effectively, particularly in the running game. Fortunately, Spielberger referenced PFF statistics that show Schultz posted a “positive run-block grade percentage” of 8.5.
Henry graded at 4.4 percent, but No. 85 lost three games to a leg injury that eventually landed him on injured reserve. It means he’s likely played his last game for the Patriots.
Hunter Henry’s Likely Out, But Another Pats’ TE Could Stay
If Henry and Gesicki are on their way out, one other Pats’ tight end could stay put. Van Pelt worked with Pharaoh Brown in Cleveland, per Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
They worked together in 2022, when Brown hauled in just five catches, but did appear in 13 games. Brown fared better in New England this season, when he converted eight of his 13 catches into first downs and also averaged 9.3 yards after catch per reception, according to Pro Football Reference.
Bringing Brown back for another year at Gillette Stadium would be more cost effective than attempting to retain Gesicki or Henry. It would also be a more measured move than trading back to select Georgia’s Brock Bowers in the 2024 NFL draft and risk bypassing the premium quarterbacks in this class.
Brown accounted for just $940,000 against the salary cap this season, per Spotrac.com. The chance to work with Van Pelt again might induce Brown to take another team-friendly deal.
That would leave the Patriots room to expend some of their projected $69,866,052 under the cap to acquire Schultz. Pairing Schultz with Brown would give Van Pelt the resources he needs to deploy the personnel groupings he favored in Cleveland.
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Patriots Can Replace Hunter Henry With Free Agent Ideal for Alex Van Pelt’s Offense