The New England Patriots added a player who has spent five years tormenting their defense.
The Patriots reached an agreement on a contract with former Buffalo Bills tight end Scott Chandler on Friday, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Chandler has played nine games against the Patriots, recording 28 catches for 384 yards and four touchdowns.
The 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end first came into the league in 2007 with the San Diego Chargers as a fourth-round draft pick out of Iowa. After bouncing around the league for more than three seasons, he finally caught on with the Bills for five seasons before being released Wednesday.
Chandler has 182 career receptions for 2,120 yards and 17 touchdowns. He caught seven passes for 125 yards in two games against the Patriots in 2014.
The big tight end had consecutive six-touchdown seasons in 2011 and 2012. His most productive season came in 2013, when he had 53 catches for 655 yards.
Chandler plays the same position as Rob Gronkowski, the “Y” inline tight end, though they could play together in two- or three-tight end sets. He’s an experienced blocker and didn’t give up a single quarterback pressure in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.
The 29-year-old tight end played under former Bill Belichick-staffer Kirk Ferentz at Iowa. He joins Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui and Tim Wright in the Patriots’ tight end corps.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images
