The New England Patriots will have to look elsewhere for tight end help.
Owen Daniels agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, pending a physical, the team announced Thursday.
Daniels will work closely with his former head coach, Gary Kubiak, who joined the Ravens in January as offensive coordinator after being fired by the Houston Texans in December.
Daniels missed 11 regular-season games for the Texans in 2013 because of a leg injury, but he’ll likely play an important role in a revamped Ravens offense that landed wide receiver Steve Smith in free agency and re-signed top tight end Dennis Pitta.
Daniels, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, could have been a nice low-risk option for the Patriots, who are in the market for depth at tight end. Rob Gronkowski was the only Patriots tight end to record more than 12 catches last season, despite missing the first six games and last three games of the 2013 season because of injury. The only other tight ends on New England’s current roster are Michael Hoomanawanui and D.J. Williams.
For now, let’s just hope Gronk lays off the cheeseburgers and comes to camp in playing shape.
