Austin Hooper Views Himself As ‘Jack Of All Trades’ Entering Patriots Chapter

Getting to play in four different offenses over the course of his eight-year NFL career served new Patriots tight end Austin Hooper well.

Hooper believes it expanded his skill set and gave him the necessary tools to handle the vast amount of responsibilities at the position.

And Hooper, who joined the Patriots in free agency on a one-year, $4.25 million deal, is eager to show his new team he isn’t a one-trick pony.

“I pride myself off of being like that jack-of-all-trades type guy,” Hooper told reporters on a video conference call Thursday, per team-provided video. “A guy who can be comfortable in the slot, be comfortable in-line. You need to me to be in the backfield picking up blitzers, I’ve done that. Being in so many different offenses, I’ve been asked to do so many different things.”

Taking on new assignments didn’t all come naturally to Hooper. He estimated that he spent 50% of his time in the slot during four seasons with the Falcons — he was named a Pro Bowler twice with Atlanta and caught a career-high 75 passes in 2019. But when Hooper went to the Cleveland Browns, where he played in Alex Van Pelt’s offense for two seasons, he was asked to block on the line more often.

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Hooper, who played one season for Mike Vrabel and the Tennessee Titans and spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, sees the benefits of the versatility that he found.

“With that at first, it was a lot of, to be honest, discomfort,” Hooper said. “Everybody likes to be in their own comfort zone. But being through all those different experiences has allowed me to become more comfortable with so many different aspects of the position.”

It’s unclear what type of role Hooper will have in New England’s offense, but aiding him is his familiarity with Van Pelt’s scheme. Hooper looks like he will be slotted in as the second tight end behind Hunter Henry, who was part of the same draft class as Hooper and re-signed with the Patriots this offseason.

Hooper didn’t want to speculate on how the Patriots will deploy him and Henry, but he’s thrilled with the chance to play alongside his fellow tight end.

“We got to see exactly what we want to do offensively and seeing who’s where,” Hooper said. “… I just know he’s really talented and I’m going to be able to learn a lot and it’s going to be fun playing next to him.”

Hooper is coming off of a down year with the Raiders, posting 25 receptions — the lowest of his career since his rookie season — for 234 yards and no touchdowns. But he’s not necessarily looking to prove anything, just hoping to contribute to a Patriots team looking to bounce back after a 4-13 season.

“I’m just excited about the next opportunity,” Hooper said. “I’m going Year 9 in an offense I’ve been a part of before, helping an organization do what they need to do to get wins. So, I’m just grateful to be part of another team, a historically really good team with a lot of awesome leadership that’s been in place there for a long time.”