Previously in the series:
THE SITUATION
At least the Patriots know their All-Pro tight end is planning on playing this season. That wasn't always the case. Rob Gronkowski told the world following Super Bowl LII that he would have to think about his future...then he went quiet. Kind of. He was on social media. He met with reporters to promote a Monster Energy Motocross event. He just refused to commit to playing in 2018 until he and his agent met with Bill Belichick just before the draft. At that point, the Patriots, who'd done their due diligence on some of the top tight ends in the draft class, knew they wouldn't have to invest a top-end pick to try to replace their once-in-a-generation player. But they added depth to this position in the offseason, perhaps trying to upgrade their insurance plan for Gronkowski. They signed Troy Niklas (15 games, 11 catches for the Cardinals last season), drafted Ryan Izzo out of Florida State in the seventh round and signed an undrafted tight end-slash-fullback Shane Wimann out of Northern Illinois. Will Tye is back after spending last year on the Patriots practice squad. The two most likely options to see time behind Gronkowski, though, are two players with very different strengths: Dwayne Allen and Jacob Hollister.
SPOTS CLAIMED
Gronkowski may have been the subject of trade talks earlier this season, but once he committed in late April, the Patriots committed to him. He's locked in. But he may be the only one. Allen would save the team $5 million on the cap if he were to be released, which isn't out of the realm of possibility given that his role boiled down to that of a blocking tight end by the end of last season. He was used as a run-blocker or in pass protection on about 63 percent of his snaps last season, catching 10 total passes in 538 snaps (including postseason). If the Patriots feel as though they can get similar production from Niklas for a fraction of the cost (about one-fifth of the cost), they may opt to move on from last year's No. 2. Hollister looked like one of the best offensive players on the field when reporters were allowed to watch spring practices. He was fluid in his routes, he caught just about everything thrown his way, and he more than held his own when matched up with safeties Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon. He might not be a true lock, but he might be the next closest thing at this position.
WHO'S DOING WHAT
The Patriots kept at least three tight ends on the active roster for the entirety of last season. (For a moment in time, they had four when Martellus Bennett returned.) Three seems like a safe number for them to keep once again. If that's the case, it looks like there are six players vying for two spots behind Gronkowski. But we can break down the battles for those two spots even further if the Patriots are looking for two different types of tight ends behind their do-it-all No. 1. If one spot is going to be dedicated to a forceful blocker who can play in short-yardage situations, understand protection schemes and see the occasional target, it feels like Allen and Niklas are jockeying for that one. If the other spot is going to be dedicated to a dependable receiver who has a grasp of the offense's third-down and hurry-up plans, the athleticism to get open and a good connection with Tom Brady, it feels like Hollister and Tye are in the running there. Barring any training camp surprises, Wimann and Izzo seem like potential practice-squad options at the moment.