It’s not the flashiest signing from free agency, yet the Patriots were able to once again play chess and snag a starting-caliber tight end for a 1-year minimum deal with only $50k-$90k in bonuses. With Rob Gronkowski announcing his retirement, Austin Seferian-Jenkins immediately steps into the starting tight end role in the Patriots explosive offense. Although the Patriots will likely target a tight end with one of their first three picks in the draft, ASJ should be the Week 1 starter and Tom Brady’s No. 1 target at that position. Seferian-Jenkins isn’t a sure thing from both a health and consistency perspective, but he has the athleticism and pass-catching skills to make fantasy noise in this offense.
Standing at 6-foot-5, 262 lbs, ASJ fits the big-bodied Patriots tight end mold. Although he has the body-type and the skill-set, his injury history makes this reek of a typical high-upside, low-floor Patriots free agency signing. Since entering the league in 2014, ASJ has only played double-digit games in one season (13 in 2017) and has only played in nine or more games in two of those seasons. He showed what he could do when he was healthy in 2017, setting career-highs in receptions (50) and yards (357) — meaning he really only needs to stay healthy to make a fantasy impact. It also doesn’t hurt that the Patriots’ mass-exodus of pass-catchers frees up an obscene 224 targets (counting Josh Gordon).
Seferian-Jenkins never played with a quarterback in the same stratosphere as Tom Brady, outside of Blake Bortles for five games last year, meaning the sky is the limit for the former second round pick. Keep your eye on our 2019 Big Board, as ASJ is set to make his debut on our next update.
