The New England Patriots lost a key piece of their offense this year when future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski retired. There was always a chance Gronk would call it quits after the Patriots’ Super Bowl win, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise.
The Patriots have had a hard time replacing their star tight end, but the Los Angeles Rams might have an answer for their failed search thus far: Tyler Higbee.
Los Angeles reportedly turned down a seventh-round pick from the Vikings in hopes of getting a sixth-rounder for the tight end. Obviously, he stuck with the Rams through the season, but no one should rule out Les Snead trying to trade him again.
It would make some sense for the Patriots to trade for Higbee, or at least inquire about his availability.
Higbee is a well-rounded tight end with good athleticism, proving to be a capable blocker and receiver for the Rams. No one can truly replace Gronk, but Higbee might have what the Patriots are looking for.
Bill Belichick signed Ben Watson this offseason, was reportedly interested in Kyle Rudolph and attempted to trade for Michael Roberts, but the deal fell through. Watson is suspended for the first four games of the season and Roberts was claimed by the Packers off waivers, while Rudolph signed an extension with the Vikings. Essentially, every avenue of replacing Gronk has been blocked in some form.
If the Patriots acquired Higbee from the Rams, he would immediately be the best tight end on the roster. He wouldn’t dominate by any means, but he’s a big-bodied receiver who could have success in the red zone if he improves his hands.
His contract is very easy to trade, too. He has a cap hit of $2.17 million in 2019, which is the final year of his deal. The Rams would clear $2.02 million in cap space by trading Higbee, only incurring $145,215 in dead money. For the Patriots, $2 million isn’t much for a starting tight end.
So how exactly does this deal help the Rams? After all, who would want to help the defending Super Bowl champions, and the team that just beat you in the big game?
The compensation certainly wouldn’t be much, considering the Rams only wanted a sixth-rounder for Higbee last offseason when he had two years left on his deal. One would assume they won’t get anything more than that this year with Higbee becoming a free agent after the 2019 season.
What the Rams would get out of it is $2 million in cap space and a clear path for Gerald Everett to become the unquestioned starter at tight end. He was drafted to be the top guy at that position in 2017 when the Rams spent a second-rounder on him. Yet, he’s been unable to jump Higbee on the depth chart in his two seasons since.
That began to change late last year and into the playoffs when Everett out-snapped Higbee for a few games. That could be a sign of things to come, especially with Everett standing out in OTAs and minicamp, according to those in attendance.
The Rams hardly ever put two tight ends on the field together anyway, which makes both Higbee and Everett part-time players. Sean McVay’s reliance on 11 personnel limits their playing time, so moving Higbee to gain a draft pick wouldn’t be a bad idea.
It’s unclear if the Rams would even consider moving Higbee, or if the Patriots would be interested. But by connecting the dots of the Patriots’ need for a tight end and the Rams having Everett, it’s easy to see why a trade would make sense for both sides.