10:10am: Henry’s second Patriots contract will be worth $27MM in total, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, who adds it will include $16MM fully guaranteed. Henry did not do quite as well as Schultz, who is two years younger, but this represents a nice third contract for a player trapped in some bad aerial attacks in recent years. Henry’s second Pats pact can max out at $30MM.
9:40am: The tight end market may not bring much of consequence this year. After Dalton Schultz agreed to stay with the Texans rather than hitting free agency again, the Patriots appear close to keeping Hunter Henry.
New England is working on a Henry deal, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson. The sides have moved close to the goal line here, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating the parties are finalizing an agreement. Henry played out a three-year, $37MM Pats deal, and despite the team making major changes this offseason, the former Chargers draftee remains in the Pats’ plans.
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This process is set to produce another three-year deal, Garafolo adds. While New England will need help at wide receiver soon as well, the team is planning to keep its three-year tight end starter as it transitions to another new play-caller. The parties have agreed to terms, and Henry will get to work in new OC Alex Van Pelt‘s scheme.
Although the Patriots’ offense spiraled in the two years following Josh McDaniels‘ departure, Henry was among the few bright spots. The ex-Philip Rivers target totaled 17 touchdown receptions on his previous contract, including nine in Mac Jones‘ rookie season. The Patriots are widely expected to have a new quarterback — perhaps via the No. 3 overall pick — and they will give that to-be-determined player an outlet option in Henry, who will not turn 30 until later this year.
Henry’s yardage totals decreased in each of his seasons with the Pats (603, 509, 419), but that can also be seen as a reflection of what happened to the team’s offense in this span. Even as the yards became harder to come by, Henry still provided the team with a quality red zone option. The 6-foot-5 pass catcher scored six touchdowns last season. Henry totaled back-to-back 600-yard seasons during his final two seasons in Los Angeles, but injuries limited him in each campaign. With the Pats, he shed the injury-prone label by missing only three games throughout his first three seasons in Foxborough.
The Schultz and Henry deals come as the Commanders (Zach Ertz) and Dolphins (Jonnu Smith) have made early strikes at the position. This effectively depletes the TE market for teams hoping to add pieces in free agency. This upcoming tight end draft class also does not match the buzz last year’s created. Noah Fant stands to be the top remaining option, and because of these early deals, the former first-round pick should do well next week. Gerald Everett, Colby Parkinson and likely one-and-done Patriot Mike Gesicki are among the other top receiving tight ends set to be UFAs.
I like now bring back Elliott and Onwenu and that’s it from last years team time to bring in new blood
Wow. Why would you tie yourself to that burning dumpster? Plenty of good football teams that need a TE.
Plenty of rebuilding teams out there. Not to mention having a top 3 pick and 100 million in cap space. They will be markedly better next year. Nice try.
Will they? Going to remind all pats fans that your franchise has drafted like crap for years and the last time you all had “soo much cap” you paid Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agolar….there is a reason you are picking third.
I’m sure you know this and you’re just hating, but BB isn’t there any more. Regardless of how much you hate the team, we have no idea what the future holds.
Love how anyone that talks truth is just “hatin”. No, your team is terrible, has no talent, has drafted terribly, has had multiple years of having a ton of money only to waste it. Sorry if people that aren’t pats homers see your organization for what it is…
Also so Pats fans that are saying that Bill isn’t here anymore ready to admit that it was Brady all the time? Without Brady, belly is nothing.
As a pats I strongly agree with you I don’t pats fans realize things won’t change change as much as they seem to think it’s still all Bills guys in place with another D- minded coach when offense is the biggest problem and then there’s the cheap azz owner pats fans will finally see what really happened to this team in the nxt few years it was Bill and Kraft who destroyed this dynasty that Brady made
STFU StabbyStump
Yeah, they’re going to be WAY worse for years…
Money talks
And bullshit walks
He has 16 million guaranted reasons.