What does TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins bring to the Patriots?

A few early thoughts on the Patriots' acquisition of Austin Seferian-Jenkins:


The 26-year-old (he’ll turn 27 in September) has had five up-and-down years in the NFL, with his peak coming in 2017 with the Jets when he had 50 catches on 74 targets for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Good numbers for a New York team that really couldn’t get much of anything going offensively. Early that year, a goal-line bobble on the part of Seferian-Jenkins was a turning point in a Patriots-Jets game.



I asked someone in New York what made him so effective that year: “He was focused with a lot to prove after the Bucs cut him in 2016. … He’s a talented pass catcher. Good pedigree. It was just about getting his act together off the field.”

To that point, the 6-foot-5, 262-pounder been hampered by a variety of issues over the course of his career, including a two-game ban in 2017 for violating the league’s policy on substance abuse. Save for that 2017 season, it’s just never really clicked for him consistently since he arrived in the pros as a second-round pick of the Bucs in 2014, and part of that is because of off-field issues.

More of a pass catcher than a blocker, he adds another layer of depth to the position going forward. If the Patriots can tap into that same sense of focus he had back in 2017, they might have themselves something. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how he fits when spring workouts begin.

One more note? This won’t necessarily take the Patriots out of the running for the likes of T.J. Hockenson or any of the other tight ends in this year’s draft. Seferian-Jenkins’ contract suggests this is a one-year, show-me type of deal for a guy who needs to prove to the rest of the league he can be a considered a consistent offensive presence.