Should the Patriots go after Tony Gonzalez?

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With Rob Gronkowski expected to be out for the start of 2014 thanks to knee surgery, the Patriots clearly need to add a tight end that can pose some sort of threat in the passing game. A quick glance at the free agent market reveals very few slam dunk options. The Saints have already publicly said they will franchise Jimmy Graham if they cannot reach a long term deal with him, leaving Dennis Pitta likely the top free agent at the position.

However, Ty Law has a different idea: convince Tony Gonzalez to forgo retirement one more time and come to New England.

"He's retiring, but he'll probably come play for the Patriots for one year to try and get a ring" Ty said during Comcast Sports Net's postgame coverage of the AFC Championship game. "He would've came here. Old teammate of mine, he would've came here."

If the Patriots can pull that off, they absolutely should. Not only is Gonzalez a consummate professional, universally beloved and respected in the NFL, who would be a phenomenal influence in a young Patriots locker room, but the guy can still play. At 37 and in his 17th NFL season, Gonzalez caught 83 balls for 859 yards and 8 touchdowns this year. He's a deserving addition to the Pro Bowl, replacing Vernon Davis to make his 14th career appearance.

Oh, and if you keep any stock in the theory that Bill Belichick likes to sign guys who preform against his Patriots, Gonzalez went off for 12 catches, 149 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 4 against New England. By the games tenuous final moments, the Patriots were committing two defenders to jamming Gonzo on every play.

Gonzalez would be a key antidote to several of the Patriots offense biggest woes. The legendary tight end doesn't have elite speed any more, but he still is able to use his positioning and excellent catch radius to be a reliable target. His efficiency as a go-to guy on third down and in the red zone, where the Patriots passing game struggled mightily without Gronk. Gonzo won't break many big plays at this point in his career, but he can absolutely be a useful weapon to keep a team's passing game running smoothly.

Should the Patriots make a run at trying to get Gonzalez to come out of retirement for one more shot at a ring? Let us know in the comments.