It's not that I have anything against the guys who play TE. I don't. In fact, some of my favorite Patriots have played the position. Russ Francis. Ben Coates. Jermaine Wiggins.
I grew up watching Francis play the game like a rock star. Long hair, mustache, always a huge grin. His helmet was always off long before reaching the sideline. He was the Tom Selleck of tight ends. But he was a much better football player than Magnum P.I. was an actor. Francis was a big part of the '70s teams that got me hooked on the Pats. He was taken with the 16th pick in the first round in 1975 a
nd the laid back Hawaiian did not disappoint. He and Steve Grogan connected on many big plays and helped make the franchise a winner. Russ Francis was the man. At least that's what I thought after the time I saw him out with a few lady friends while I was having dinner with my parents at the Honolulu restaurant on Rte. 1 in Norwood. I was about 13-years-old and Francis was more than gracious to turn his attention away from his four female dining companions to sign an autograph for a young fan. Thanks Russ. A great role model.If Francis was the coolest tight end to ever wear a Patriots uniform, then Ben Coates was the toughest. The original Big Ben, he was the opposite of Francis. A fifth-round selection in '91, Coates was mostly an afterthought in his first two pro seasons. Like every good receiver, Coates needed someone to get him the ball. That someone was Drew Bledsoe. And boy did Bledsoe get him the ball. Time and time again. Coates was Bledsoe's security blanket. When in trouble or in need of a big play, Bledsoe would look for number 87. He wasn't hard to find. But he was almost impossible to bring down. At 6-5 and almost 250 pounds, Coates was an unstoppable force. He would
often catch a pass 10 yards downfield and then drag several would-be tacklers another twenty yards. Some of my favorite memories at the old Foxboro Stadium are watching Big Ben haul in a pass from Bledsoe and carry defenders (often Dolphins) on his back. In 1994 he set a record for catches in a season for a tight end with 96. Francis was the man. Coates was the beast.Since Coates retired the Patriots have invested lots of draft picks in an attempt to find the next one. Without much success. First round picks Daniel Graham and Ben Watson were solid players, but not really worth first round picks. And in the last few seasons the tight end has been such a small part of the offensive game plan that I'm ready for the Pats to just chuck the position completely. After all, unlike a quarterback or center you don't have to play with a tight end. I was starting to think Bill Belichick agreed with me on that. The team let both Chris Baker and Watson go this month, leaving them without an NFL caliber TE on the roster. Were the Patriots getting sick of being disappointed as they watched their tight ends drop passes or fumble or miss key blocks as much as me? I guess not.
Today the team signed veteran tight end Alge Crumpler. I had him on my fantasy football team a few years back and he ... disappointed. But he's a good pickup for the Pats. In fact, he's all the tight end the team needs. He's 32 with a lot of wear on the tires but might still have a good season left in him. He'll add some veteran leadership and his work ethic is solid. I can envision Brady and Crumpler hitting it off on and off the field. And he comes cheap. He seems like a good fit for the team that doesn't seem to know what to do with the tight end. So no need to use any draft picks on the position, right Bill?
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