The New England Patriots saw their depth at tight end disappear this offseason after the retirement of Rob Gronkowski and the release of Dwayne Allen. And now, the position is getting thinner.
According to Jim McBride of The Boston Globe, Patriots tight end Matt LaCosse is dealing with an ankle sprain. McBride took to Twitter to break the news on Monday night.
It's currently unclear what the extent of LaCosse's injury is an what his timetable for return may be.
LaCosse is expected to be the Patriots' starter at tight end with veteran Ben Watson suspended for the first four games of the season. Depending on the severity of this injury, that could change. LaCosse had a career-year last season with the Denver Broncos, catching 24 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown.
LaCosse has been solid in Patriots training camp and in last Thursday's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, he caught two passes for 37 yards. But with him set to miss time, that will give the Patriots' other options at the position a chance to prove themselves.
New England Patriots
The Patriots will likely take a long look at Ryan Izzo, a seventh-round pick in 2018, during Saturday's game against the Titans while also giving some time to receiving threat Stephen Anderson, veteran Lance Kendricks (if healthy), and undrafted rookie Andrew Beck.
The team also did acquire tight end Eric Saubert from the Atlanta Falcons, so he could factor into the rotation as well. If the newcomer is familiar enough with the offense by Saturday, he could get a look. The former Drake product caught five passes for 48 yards in 2019.
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