Ben Volin: Tim Wright will have immediate impact
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| nepatriotslife.com |
“The way I see it is that [Bill] Belichick targeted this kid,” Volin said. “They did not have to make this Mankins trade. It’s not like there was a burning cap issue or a major quarrel with the player. They decided on their own that they were going to trade Mankins, and they targeted this kid to kind of replace the things that Aaron Hernandez did in the offense. Belichick loves these Rutgers guys. Obviously Tim Wright got the thumbs-up from Greg Schiano, which is all Belichick needs to hear.
“I think they brought him in to play. One of the things you hear constantly from the players and the coaches is how smart Tim Wright is and how quickly he was able to pick some things up just to play in that preseason game against the Giants last week.”
Some have already put Aaron Hernandez-like expectations on Wright, which is probably unfair to do right now. But Volin and others have said he should be a very nice complimentary piece that could, in a way, re-create the dual threat the Patriots once had at tight end between Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.
Much has been made in the last day about Gronkowski suiting up for Sunday's season opener in Miami against the Dolphins. He says he's ready, but Belichick seemed to say otherwise. So no one really knows what's going on there.
Wright is only in his second season and had a decent showing with the Buccaneers last season amidst all the quarterback controversy they had. That being said, it should speak volumes to how the Patriots view Wright, a versatile pass-catching tight end with good hands and the ability to create separation from defenders.
The Patriots haven't had that since Hernandez and haven't been able to rely on Gronkowski as much as they would have liked. Whenever you have an offensive player lining up to catch passes from Tom Brady, expectations of that player should increase at least a little bit.
It is not farfetched to believe that Wright could blossom into a star in New England, and fans should expect him to have a good sophomore campaign. He had a decent showing against the Giants last week, but we all know the pre-season doesn't mean much. If Gronkowski ends up sitting out on Sunday, expect Wright to get a fair amount of looks.
What kind of impact do you think Tim Wright will have with the Patriots? Tweet me your thoughts - @JesseGaunce
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