It's officially Matty Mulls time
One of the more surprising moments lost in the shuffle of the madness that was Browns/Patriots yesterday, was the 15-yard reception by back-up tight end Matthew Mulligan in the 4th quarter, a play that ended in a bold attempt to completely hurdle a Browns defender.
With Rob Gronkowski sadly lost for the remainder of the season (and beyond), Mulligan, a former Maine Black Bear, will be seeing much more of the field between now and whenever this roller-coaster season comes to an end for the team.
When Gronk went down in the 3rd quarter on Sunday, Mulligan was the only other active tight end on the roster, as Michael Hoomanawanui remains sidelined with a knee injury. As a result of the shortage at the position, fullback James Develin saw some snaps at the position in the second half of the game (and actually showed off some good hands with a one-handed reception).
The team addressed the issue today, signing tight end D.J Williams, who was released earlier this week, in a concurrent move with Gronkowski being placed on the IR. Williams played in last weeks game against the Texans, and played in seven games earlier this season for the Jaguars. He has also played for the Green Bay Packers.
The blow of losing #87 is something we have grown accustomed to. One of the more dominant players in the league when on the field, the fact of the matter is Gronk doesn't seem to be able to make it through a full season without sustaining an injury. Seeing him sidelined however, was a lot less devastating when a certain freakishly-athletic, tattooed murderer was there to fill the void.
But the fact of the matter is that dynamic duo has been replaced by Matthew Mulligan, D.J. Williams, and Hoo-man. While that's as big of a drop off as you will ever see in terms of talent, the Patriots have managed to go 10-3 on the season despite one seemingly season ending injury after another. But there is no doubt this one is the worst yet.
So who is Matt Mulligan anyways?
The 6'4", 270-pound tight end went undrafted out of Maine, and has been a journeyman since arriving in the NFL. Originally signed as an undrafted free-agent by the Dolphins, Mulligan was a practice-squad player in 2008 in Miami. Since then, he has had short stints with the Titans, Jets, Rams, and Packers (each stint ending in him being waived) before arriving in New England this September.
The Patriots cut him as well, just three days after signing him, but ended up re-signing him the same week. He caught his first touchdown pass with the team in week 4 of the season against Atlanta, but has been largely invisible since then.
Mulligan has flown under the radar because he is used primarily as a blocker, even on downs when the Patriots pass. According to Pro Football Focus, of the 211 snaps Mulligan has played this season, 35 have come as a receiver, 49 as a pass blocker, and an overwhelming 127 as a run blocker.
Speaking today in response to questions about his role in replacing Rob Gronkowski, Mulligan had this to say (Quote from NESN.com):
To say that Mulligan has a "different skill-set" than Rob Gronkowski is definitely a nice way to describe the difference in these two players. Speaking on WEEI today, Tom Brady stated that without Gronk, "the formula changes" for the Patriots offense.
Brady is confident the team can adapt. The Patriots Super Bowl hopes may have been dashed yesterday with the loss of Gronk, but as we have learned this season more than ever, you can never count out a team led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. But one thing is for certain: Matty Mulls has suddenly become an important part of the ever-changing 2013 Patriots offense.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
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| Getty Images/ESPN.com |
With Rob Gronkowski sadly lost for the remainder of the season (and beyond), Mulligan, a former Maine Black Bear, will be seeing much more of the field between now and whenever this roller-coaster season comes to an end for the team.
When Gronk went down in the 3rd quarter on Sunday, Mulligan was the only other active tight end on the roster, as Michael Hoomanawanui remains sidelined with a knee injury. As a result of the shortage at the position, fullback James Develin saw some snaps at the position in the second half of the game (and actually showed off some good hands with a one-handed reception).
The team addressed the issue today, signing tight end D.J Williams, who was released earlier this week, in a concurrent move with Gronkowski being placed on the IR. Williams played in last weeks game against the Texans, and played in seven games earlier this season for the Jaguars. He has also played for the Green Bay Packers.
The blow of losing #87 is something we have grown accustomed to. One of the more dominant players in the league when on the field, the fact of the matter is Gronk doesn't seem to be able to make it through a full season without sustaining an injury. Seeing him sidelined however, was a lot less devastating when a certain freakishly-athletic, tattooed murderer was there to fill the void.
But the fact of the matter is that dynamic duo has been replaced by Matthew Mulligan, D.J. Williams, and Hoo-man. While that's as big of a drop off as you will ever see in terms of talent, the Patriots have managed to go 10-3 on the season despite one seemingly season ending injury after another. But there is no doubt this one is the worst yet.
So who is Matt Mulligan anyways?
The 6'4", 270-pound tight end went undrafted out of Maine, and has been a journeyman since arriving in the NFL. Originally signed as an undrafted free-agent by the Dolphins, Mulligan was a practice-squad player in 2008 in Miami. Since then, he has had short stints with the Titans, Jets, Rams, and Packers (each stint ending in him being waived) before arriving in New England this September.
The Patriots cut him as well, just three days after signing him, but ended up re-signing him the same week. He caught his first touchdown pass with the team in week 4 of the season against Atlanta, but has been largely invisible since then.
Mulligan has flown under the radar because he is used primarily as a blocker, even on downs when the Patriots pass. According to Pro Football Focus, of the 211 snaps Mulligan has played this season, 35 have come as a receiver, 49 as a pass blocker, and an overwhelming 127 as a run blocker.
Speaking today in response to questions about his role in replacing Rob Gronkowski, Mulligan had this to say (Quote from NESN.com):
"I only can be myself,” Mulligan said on Monday. “I can’t worry about any of that stuff. I have my own skill set. That’s what I do well and I just gotta obviously continue to get better and do a little bit more. I can’t be Rob Gronkowski. I only can be Matt Mulligan.”
To say that Mulligan has a "different skill-set" than Rob Gronkowski is definitely a nice way to describe the difference in these two players. Speaking on WEEI today, Tom Brady stated that without Gronk, "the formula changes" for the Patriots offense.
Brady is confident the team can adapt. The Patriots Super Bowl hopes may have been dashed yesterday with the loss of Gronk, but as we have learned this season more than ever, you can never count out a team led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. But one thing is for certain: Matty Mulls has suddenly become an important part of the ever-changing 2013 Patriots offense.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
