By taking the second and sixth tight ends off the board at the 2010 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots looked to not only solidify their future at the position, but even find their first star at the spot of the Bill Belichick era.
Both former Florida Gator Aaron Hernandez and second-rounder Rob Gronkowski out of Arizona have looked good in camp, and star tight end Tony Gonzalez took notice as the Pats practiced with the Atlanta Falcons in Flowery Branch, Ga.
"I have watched both tight ends, and they are rookies so they are still learning this game," said Gonzalez. "I do see a future for them. Hernandez with the receiving part of it has got that down. He can keep improving on that. If you are going to be a tight end, and you want to be called a tight end, then you better learn how to block. That is what the position is. With the other tight end I think he has a pretty good receiving game and he has got the blocking pretty good."
He also praised the Patriots as a whole, saying that playing a team as good as New England would benefit the Falcons.
"Nothing against Jacksonville [with whom the Falcons practiced last week], or any other team, but when you go against the New England Patriots, you are going against one of the best teams in the NFL," he said. "It is good to see where you stack up. It is nice and it is a luxury. It is something that the players look forward to, and it gets their juices flowing. It gets us out of that straight routine we have been doing every single day. It is good to go against another team and get a good look."
