TannerArkin

Oct 5

Raridon replaced Austin Hooper as the Patriots' backup tight end behind Hunter Henry this season.

In Week 1, Henry only played 54. 5% of early-down snaps out of 11 personnel, with the rest going to Raridon. Raridon suffered his thigh injury early in Week 2, leading him to be out in Week 3. Tanner Arkin was the No. 1 backup last week, followed by Cameron Latu. This week, Raridon played 22 snaps in single-tight end sets on early downs compared to 19 by Henry. Henry still dominated 11 personnel snaps on third downs, giving Henry more fantasy value. However, it’s notable Henry only has a 61. 9% route participation rate in the two games where Raridon has stayed healthy compared to 68. 3% in games where Raridon has mostly missed. Henry has been a borderline fantasy starting tight end, but this kind of dip in route participation rate could be the difference between rostering and not rostering Henry. This split will be worth monitoring going forward, as it’s possible Raridon will see more playing time as the season progresses.

Aug 29

A big reason for that is that their tight end depth doesn’t necessarily look better than a year ago. Third-round pick Eli Raridon looks the part. He’s tall and athletic. People should be reminded, however, that it’s rare to see a rookie tight end make an impact. The rookie caught 14 passes from Maye this summer. Can Raridon replace Austin Hooper? That’s the hope. The third tight end situation is a mess. The team wanted it to be Julian Hill, but he suffered a season-ending injury in minicamp. It looked like Tanner Arkin would win this battle, but he’s faded down the stretch. Will the Patriots keep Jack Westover instead? This might be an area they look for help in on the waiver wire.