The Patriots didn’t just miss out on a tight end this spring. They watched the exact kind of player fans had circled all offseason go somewhere else, then put on a show in his new uniform.
Isaiah Likely had been the name hovering near the top of New England’s wish list. With free agency opening earlier this year, Patriots fans were looking for help in a few spots, especially at edge rusher and tight end.
The appeal with Likely was obvious: a young, rising playmaker who could eventually grow into the kind of No. 1 tight end an offense can build around. For a team with Hunter Henry already in place, he looked like the perfect future complement.
There was another layer to it, too. Likely is from Massachusetts and grew up a Patriots fan, which made the fit feel almost too neat.
A homecoming made sense. It had momentum.
Then it vanished when he signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Giants.
That alone would have been enough to frustrate Patriots fans. What happened next only sharpened the regret.
In his Giants debut on Sunday Night Football this week, Likely looked every bit like the player New England had hoped to land. He finished with a team-high 8 receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns, including several standout catches on messy third downs that kept the Cowboys from getting the ball back with a chance to tie the game.
Those are the exact kinds of moments that made him so appealing in the first place. He’s 26, his best football should still be ahead of him, and he’s now set to build chemistry with another young quarterback - Jaxson Dart, not Drake Maye. That pairing is the sort of thing Patriots fans could easily picture helping their own offense once Henry’s time as TE1 comes to an end.
Instead, New England is left hoping the answer is already in the building. Rookie Eli Raridon scored the Patriots’ only touchdown in Week 1, which was a nice jolt after what had been an underwhelming summer for him. The path for Raridon is still there, and Henry is a strong mentor to learn from over the next few years.
But Raridon is only 22, and there’s still a lot he has to figure out before he can be the kind of game-changing tight end the Patriots need. If he gets there, the sting of watching Likely thrive in New York will fade some.
For now, though, it’s hard not to wonder what could have been.
In Other News...
Patriots Suddenly Have A Trade Watch Worth Following On Defense
The Patriots defensive front is already under the microscope after Week 1 exposed some soft spots in the linebacker group, and that has made the trade market worth monitoring a little earlier than usual. One name that has surfaced is Giants edge linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose role in New York appears to have shrunk enough to raise questions about where he fits long term.
For New England, the appeal is obvious: a player with pass-rush talent and a chance to help a defense that needs more impact at the second level. The buzz is that Thibodeaux could be had for a mid-round draft pick, which is the kind of price that can turn a speculative idea into a real conversation, even if the Giants are not ready to settle the issue just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Rookie Is Already Filling A Role New England Desperately Needed
The Patriots used a busy April draft to stock up on help, and a few of those rookies have already found ways to matter. Caleb Lomu, Gabe Jacas, Eli Raridon and Namdi Obiazor all arrived in New England with different jobs ahead of them, but early in the season the team has seen contributions across the board. Jacas got to the quarterback for his first NFL sack in Week 1, Raridon put his name in the record book by scoring the first touchdown of the NFL season, and Obiazor has started to carve out a place on special teams.
For New England, Obiazors role may wind up being the most immediately important of the group. The Patriots are leaning on him and other rookies to help replace the special teams losses from last season, and he has already shown he can handle limited snaps with three tackles. It is the kind of quiet but necessary contribution that can matter more than flashy offensive moments, especially for a team trying to rebuild depth wherever it can find it. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Keep Tweaking Roster Depth With Another Notable Shuffle
The Patriots kept adjusting the bottom of the roster Monday, bringing safety Elliott Davison back onto the practice squad after clearing space by releasing tight end Shane Zylstra. Davison had already spent time on New Englands practice squad earlier this season, and the former Saints defensive back gives the team another familiar name to lean on as it continues sorting through depth options.
Zylstras release came with an injury waiver, another reminder that the practice squad churn is rarely just about talent evaluation this time of year. New Englands current group also includes several other reserve options, and the team has kept the door open with recent workouts for a couple of players as it tries to keep the right mix available behind the active roster. [Read more 🡒]