The second day of the NFL’s legal tampering period was a busy one for the New England Patriots tight end group. Not only did it experience two of its 2023 members departing as free agents — Mike Gesicki to Cincinnati and Pharaoh Brown to Seattle — it also saw the addition of Austin Hooper on a one-year contract.
While it remains to be seen how big his impact will actually be, Hooper adds another experienced presence to the group to improve its overall depth. Additionally, he has a connection to Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt from their time in Cleveland together.