Patriots free agency profile: Austin Hooper has experience in the Alex Van Pelt offense

The Patriots signed hooper to a one-year contract to bolster their tight end group.

The second day of the NFL’s legal tampering period was a busy one for the New England Patriots tight end group. Not only did it experience two of its 2023 members departing as free agents — Mike Gesicki to Cincinnati and Pharaoh Brown to Seattle — it also saw the addition of Austin Hooper on a one-year contract.

While it remains to be seen how big his impact will actually be, Hooper adds another experienced presence to the group to improve its overall depth. Additionally, he has a connection to Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt from their time in Cleveland together.

With that all said, let’s take a closer look at Hooper and what he may bring to the table in New England.

Hard facts

Name: Austin Hooper

Position: Tight end

Opening day age: 29 (10/19/1994)

Size: 6-foot-4, 254 pounds

Contract status: 1 years, $3M base value ($4.25M max), $2.42M guaranteed

Experience

A defensive end coming out of high school, Hooper had a productive stint at Stanford. Appearing in 26 games after redshirting as a true freshman, he caught 74 passes for 937 yards with eight touchdowns. While his production was not outstanding relative to his teammates and other tight ends that year, he still decided to forgo his final two years of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft in 2016.

Hooper ended up getting selected 81st overall by the Atlanta Falcons, making him the second tight end off the board behind only second-rounder Hunter Henry. He ended up spending four years in Atlanta and was voted to a pair of Pro Bowls along the way, before signing a four-year, $42 million deal with the Cleveland Browns — joining forces with current Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

In two seasons as a Brown, Hooper played 31 regular season and playoff games and was on the receiving end of 93 passes. He gained 842 yards and scored eight touchdowns before his release following the 2021 season.

Hooper went on to spend one year each with the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders. In total, he has appeared in 129 NFL games over the course of his eight-year career, and has 383 receptions, 3,847 yards, and 27 touchdowns to his name.

2023 review

Stats: 17 games (9 starts) | 557 offensive snaps (53.3%) | 31 targets, 25 catches (54.5%), 234 yards

Season recap: Coming off a solid if unspectacular one-year stint in Tennessee, Hooper took his talents to Las Vegas via a one-year, $2.75 million contract. Together with second-round rookie Michael Mayer, he was pegged to help replace long-time starting tight end Darren Waller, who had previously been traded to the New York Giants.

Mayer took the top spot in that regard, with Hooper establishing himself as TE2. As such, he started nine of his 17 games and was on the field for 557 of 1,046 offensive snaps on the year (53.3%).

While he did see plenty of action, Hooper had a disappointing season from a statistical perspective. His 234 receiving yards marked a career-low, and he also failed to find the end zone for the first time since entering the league in 2016. Only once — as a rookie — did he record fewer than the 25 catches he had in 2023.

While a decline in ability at age 29 might have been to blame, Hooper also found himself in an offense asking him to do more blocking than the Titans the previous year. Playing for an offensively-challenged Raiders team that fired both its head coach and offensive coordinator midway through the season, he saw significant action as a pass protector and run blocker: his 49.5 percent blocking rate was the third-highest of his career.

In total, Hooper’s 2023 was a rather disappointing season. Him leaving Las Vegas as a free agent was therefore no surprise.

Patriots preview

What will be his role? Unlike new teammate and fellow 2016 draft pick Hunter Henry, Hooper is more of a multi-faceted F than an in-line Y tight end. He will therefore be used all over the formation both as a receiving option and as a blocker. In fact, his blocking skills might see frequent use under Alex Van Pelt: in their previous two seasons together, Hooper was asked to block on 54.1 percent of his offensive snaps.

What is his growth potential? Hooper has eight seasons of NFL action on his résumé, and is well-established as a player. That being said, a new environment with a familiar taste might help him bounce back after what was an underwhelming season with the Raiders. While it seems unlikely he will suddenly return to the Pro Bowl form he showed earlier in his career, his statistical impact might start to somewhat rebound in New England.

Does he have positional versatility? In his two previous seasons in an Alex Van Pelt offense, Hooper was used in-line, in the slot, and split out wide, while also occasionally seeing action as an H-back. With Hunter Henry around to take most snaps at the Y spot, the Patriots might lean into the 29-year-old’s versatility even more.

What does it mean for New England’s salary cap? Hooper’s one-year contract with the Patriots carries a salary cap charge of $3.13 million and includes $2.41 million in guarantees ($1.21 million salary plus $1.2 million signing bonus). Neither does that make him one of the highest-paid players on the team, nor does it hurt New England’s financial capabilities too much.

What does it mean for New England’s draft outlook? The Patriots currently have three tight ends on the roster, with Hooper and the aforementioned Hunter Henry being joined by La’Michael Pettway. The Patriots adding another player to the group via the draft is therefore entirely possible, even though that selection will likely not come before the middle rounds given the team’s superior needs in other areas.

How safe is his roster spot? Considering his contract numbers and the Patriots’ current tight end group, Hooper should be considered a relatively safe bet to be on the team come the regular season. He may get bumped from his current spot as the No. 2 option on the depth chart depending on any incoming rookies, but he should be on the 53-man squad nonetheless.

One-sentence verdict: Hooper is not the most dynamic free agency pickup, but his low-cost contract and his familiarity with Alex Van Pelt make him a solid depth addition that brings a proven track record to the table.