FOXBORO, Mass. — Jake Bequette knows the New England Patriots value versatility.
The 26-year-old originally was listed as a defensive end heading into OTAs and minicamp, but he has been practicing on offense as a tight end over the last few weeks. Being able to play multiple positions is a good way to increase your chances of earning a spot on Bill Belichick’s roster.
“Value to the team is one thing this organization really puts a high emphasis on,” Bequette said after Wednesday’s mandatory minicamp practice at Gillette Stadium. “You always say ‘the more you can do.’ This is one thing I want to add to my toolbox and hopefully get pretty good at it.”
The transition to a new position on a different side of the ball is never easy, but Bequette isn’t walking into the tight end spot with no experience, which certainly helps.
“I played (tight end) in high school, and then my freshman year in college I redshirted, and it was still kind of up in the air,” Bequette said. “My rookie year here, I played some tight end on the goal line. It’s not completely foreign.”
Making the transition a little easier for Bequette is the presence of All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski. Both players have tremendous size and strength, so there’s a lot Bequette can learn from Gronk.
“It’s great to have him in the meeting room, just to learn techniques and little things, and on the field just putting it into practice,” Bequette said. “You watch him out here, he’s a beast. Just getting to watch one of the best at the position in the league, probably the best, it’s fun to watch and it’s fun to learn from.”
After spending the 2014 season on the practice squad and not having played in an NFL game since a Week 7 loss to the New York Jets in 2013, there’s no guarantee Bequette will make the final roster. Even after releasing veteran tight end Tim Wright, the Patriots still have Gronkowski, Scott Chandler and Michael Hoomanawanui on the depth chart.
That said, there’s still plenty of time for Bequette to prove himself at tight end, and he’s getting a lot of help from teammates and coaches.
“Having some really good vets in the room, coach (Brian) Daboll has been great, they really challenge me, and that’s really helped me along the way,” Bequette said. “I’ve got a long way to ago. We’re only three or four weeks into it, and we got training camp coming up. That’s when we’ll really see what we’ve got.”
Thumbnail photo via Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports Images
