FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots fans briefly forgot about old flame Logan Mankins on Sunday night.
The Patriots’ offensive line had their best showing of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, and tight end Tim Wright, the player New England acquired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Mankins, had a breakout game. Wright caught five passes for 85 yards in just 19 snaps during the 43-17 win, when the Patriots showed a glimpse of what a two-tight end offense could look like in 2014.
Bill Belichick had nothing but praise for Wright’s smarts and work ethic during his weekly Wednesday news conference, but the head coach said the second-year pro still needs work on his blocking.
“Like all of us, he needs to keep working on that,” Belichick said at Gillette Stadium. “He needs to work on his blocking, needs to work in the passing game, running game, pass protection. I mean, all of it. He’s a second-year player that’s really a conversion from another position in college. There are a lot of things he can work on.
“He works hard. Nobody works harder than Tim. He spends extra time in the classroom, spends extra time on the field, works hard on the field. He does as much as he can do. Is he there yet? I mean, no. But, I’d say he’s gaining on it steadily.”
Wright played wide receiver in college at (where else?) Rutgers, and moved to tight end last year during training camp with the Buccaneers. He’s picked up the Patriots’ offense quickly and appears to be making waves in gaining quarterback Tom Brady’s trust.
Blocking might still be a work in progress for Wright, but Belichick isn’t concerned about how quickly he can pick up the offense.
“I think Tim is a smart guy,” Belichick told the Buffalo Bills’ media in a conference call on Wednesday. “He works hard. I think learning is not an issue with him at all.”
