5 burning questions the Patriots must answer in 2019

2. Who will be the starting tight end in the post Gronkowski era?

Apart from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, perhaps the most recognizable name in the Patriots’ dynasty is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has three rings. Gronkowski helped revolutionize the tight end position in the modern NFL, but his career began to slow as he got savaged by injuries the past few seasons.

It was clear that Gronk wasn’t the same player as a result of all the punishment he took over the years, but he was still a formidable factor that opponents had to game plan around. Gronk officially retired a few weeks after the Super Bowl, leaving New England to find his replacement.

Without a good candidate in-house, the Patriots dipped into the free agent pool to accumulate some options at the position. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Stephen Anderson quickly signed on, but the Pats didn’t feel completely comfortable with their choices, coaxing 38 year old Ben Watson out of retirement to help out.

It will be a homecoming for Watson, who was originally drafted by New England back in 2004. That return will have to wait, however, after Watson was suspended four games for failing a drug test.

This means that Sefarian-Jenkins and Anderson will get the first crack at filling in for Gronk, but don’t be shocked if the Pats keep looking for a tight end this summer. Gronkowski offered a game breaking set of skills that made it tougher for opponents to key on New England’s short passing game, and replacing that will be paramount to the Patriots’ success going forward.