Do Patriots Have Secret Weapon In Chase Winovich At Tight End?

Watch out for Chase Winovich’s flat route. It’s one of the best Jim Harbaugh has ever seen.

The Patriots outside linebacker actually spent his 2015 season at Michigan on the offensive side of the ball, and coincidentally, New England quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch was the Wolverines’ QB/wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator that season.

“Small world,” Winovich said Friday on a video conference call.

Winovich didn’t catch any passes but worked as a running back and tight end before switching back over to linebacker in 2016.

So, could Winovich be the modern-day version of Mike Vrabel, who caught 12 touchdown passes while wearing the same No. 50 Patriots jersey from 2001 to 2008?

You know that Winovich has thought about it.

“To be honest, that would be awesome,” Winovich said Friday. “But yeah, and I always mess with (Fisch) about it, particularly even running back or any position I’m always messing with him. But really I’m more so focused on just making sure I’m assignment sound. Until I can be absolutely perfect in everything I do, there’s more work to be done and more focus there to be had than trying to branch out.

“But I’ve got my fingers crossed. Just working on catching and stuff maybe when I have some free time. You never know, but I don’t see that happening right now.”

So, what’s the scouting report on Winovich, the tight end? The second-year pro was happy to give one Friday.

“I’d say he’s fast,” Winovich said talking in the third person. “He’s gonna catch the ball, but it might not be the most orthodox. Same thing with my route concepts. My flat route is probably, as Coach Harbaugh put it, one of the best he’s ever seen. That was what he said. Just quoting him. So, yeah, he definitely is open to some of that stuff.

“I don’t know what else I’d say about myself that’s not negative. We’ll leave it to the positives, the optimistic look.”

To paraphrase Bill Belichick, “Don’t tell me what Winovich can’t do at tight end. Just tell me what he can do.”

Winovich did test very well coming out of Michigan with a 4.59-second 40-yard dash with a 6.94-second 3-cone drill, 4.11-second short shuttle, 30.5-inch vertical leap and 9-feet, 8-inch broad jump at 6-foot-3, 252 pounds.

Patriots rookie tight end Devin Asiasi, who played under Fisch at Michigan and UCLA, actually is one of Winovich’s athletic comps based on those testing numbers on MockDraftable.com. They’re a 77.6 percent match.

Winovich has been the Patriots’ best pass rusher so far this season with 1.5 sacks, five QB hits and 12 total pressures in three games.