New England Patriots Re-Signing Former Tight End

The New England Patriots are fixing their roster, and they re-signed a tight end.

Benjamin Watson made his way to New England. He may delay his retirement plans and will probably ink a deal with the New England Patriots. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network noted that there are some points to go work on, but that deal is definitely happening.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter added that the tight end will agree to a one-year deal worth $3 million.

“Patriots intend to sign former Saints’ tight end Ben Watson to a one-year, $3 million deal, per source.”

Watson visited the Patriots on Thursday. The San Francisco 49ers, Bills and Chiefs are also considered an option. However, the Patriots will be his first and last stop of Watson’s tour.

This move is sort of a homecoming for Watson. The team selected him in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He played six seasons with the team, and even helped them win Super Bowl XXXIX.  Watson totaled 167 receptions for 2,102 yards and 20 touchdowns during his time in New England.

After leaving Foxboro, Watson made stops with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. He found a spot in New Orleans, and his most productive season was in 2015. In that season, Watson was able to catch 74 passes for 825 yards and six touchdowns.

Last season, the tight end appeared in 16 regular games and caught 35 of his 46 targets for 400 yards and two touchdowns. Watson planned to put an end to his career, but changed his mind and will probably go back to the place where it all started.

This is a rather smart move for the New England Patriots as they lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement. Gronk walked away from the game, and the Patriots cut ties with Dwayne Allen who inked a deal with the Miami Dolphins. Jacob Hollister was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, and the unit is really poor at the moment. Austin Seferian-Jenkins is given a role in the passing game, and former Broncos tight end Matt LaCosse will have a role, too.