The New England Patriots did not sign tight end Martellus Bennett to take a backseat to Rob Gronkowski.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss says the Patriots could feature two-tight end sets in up to 80 percent of their plays this fall.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick explained the team’s approach, per the report.
“They are kind of interchangeable. They can both block and can both catch down the field, they can run the intermediate routes, they’re both huge targets. I know the quarterbacks love throwing to them.”
Opposing secondaries will certainly have a tall task ahead when they face both beastly tight ends this year.
Gronk stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 265 pounds. Bennett is even taller at 6-foot-7 and 258 pounds. While the double tight ends look to be a nightmare for defenders, they could also present a nightmare for fantasy football players.
Gronkowski, when healthy, has always been a sure bet to choose high in fantasy football drafts. In 2015, Gronk was targeted 120 times resulting in 72 catches for 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns.
But now, Bennett could easily eat into Gronk’s targets if he is on the field as much as the Patriots are indicating. This information should come in handy for those who have not drafted their fantasy teams yet and want to re-evaluate the position.
While Belichick continues to build his roster up, we can be sure he couldn’t care less about messing with anybody’s fantasy strategy.