The New England Patriots kicked off NFL free agency with a bang, agreeing to contracts with several noteworthy players on the open market soon after the league’s legal tampering period began Monday.
But for Skip Bayless, one move stood above the rest: signing tight end Hunter Henry.
The Patriots had already agreed to a reported four-year, $50 million contract ($31.25 million guaranteed) with fellow tight end Jonnu Smith one day before handing Henry a reported three-year, $37.5 million deal ($25 million guaranteed).
Clearly, Bill Belichick has a vision for the offense, though, and it’s hard not to think back to the success New England had several years ago with tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez working in tandem.
“I am shocked. But congratulations, Belichick. That’s the move,” Bayless said Tuesday on FS1’s “Undisputed” of the Patriots signing Henry. “The rest were all pretty good here, very good (there). I’ll give you a ‘very good’ on (Matt) Judon. But this one? This is great. Because now you’re back to Gronk-Hernandez style. I’m not saying they’re Gronk and Hernandez. But you have the ability to attack that same way.”
How the Patriots’ offense performs in 2021 ultimately might depend on the quarterback. Cam Newton, re-signed last week, struggled throughout 2020, and it’s fair to wonder how much the three-time Pro Bowl selection has left in the tank ahead of his age-32 campaign.
That said, whoever is under center — whether it’s Newton or another QB added this offseason — will have a much stronger supporting cast this season, and Henry could be a significant contributor, particularly in the red zone.
“I’m not saying that Jonnu and Hunter Henry are that, but they’re really good,” Bayless said of the Gronkowski-Hernandez comparison. “Hunter Henry has yet to make a Pro Bowl, but I’ve met him before, I like his character. I like his size and his range. He is Gronk esque in his size.”
The Patriots aren’t messing around this offseason. It was obvious before the Henry deal. Now, we’re just wondering what possibly could be next.
