Patriots free agency profile: Mike Gesicki back on the market after quiet season

Gesicki signed a one-year deal with New England last offseason.

The New England Patriots are already in the middle of a franchise-altering offseason. They have a new head coach, restructured their front office, and are expected to overhaul their roster from the top down.

Free agency will be a key part of this process. And while adding external players to the mix will undoubtably happen, there are also quite a few in-house free agents to be taken care of. In total, 22 are headed toward the open market this spring and in need of a new contract.

That includes tight end Mike Gesicki, the next player in our free agency profile series.

Hard facts

Name: Mike Gesicki

Position: Tight end

Opening day age: 28 (10/3/1995)

Size: 6’6”, 245 lbs

Jersey number: 88

Free agency status: Unrestricted free agent

Experience

After being recruited by Bill O’Brien, Gesicki committed to Penn State prior to the coach departing to the NFL. After a four-year collegiate career, the tight end was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Gesicki had a quiet rookie season with a career-low 22 receptions, but a coaching change to Brian Flores in year two led to more success. Under Flores and offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea, Gesicki went on to haul in 177 passes for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in the next three seasons.

Unfortunately for Gesicki, another coaching change in 2022 did not lead to similar results. The tight end found himself to not be a great fit in Mike McDaniel’s new offense, leading to him seeing just 52 targets and 32 receptions while playing on the franchise tag.

2023 review

Stats: 17 games (10 starts) | 530 offensive snaps (50.5%) | 29 receptions, 244 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns

Season recap: With Bill O’Brien back in town, Gesicki seemed prime to be a key part of New England’s two tight-end offense throughout the spring and summer. Even lining up mostly as a wide receiver (81 percent of snaps detached from formation) as Bill Belichick often alluded to him as, Gesicki seemed headed in that direction as he hauled in eight receptions over his first two games.

His production then slipped with his playing time, as Gesicki caught just 13 passes over the next nine games — although he did catch the game-winning touchdown against Buffalo in Week 7 — as New England’s offense struggled mightily.

Following the bye, Gesicki saw increased snaps as Hunter Henry was lost for the season. Despite hauling in a touchdown against Denver, he finished with just eight receptions over the last four weeks.

Free agency preview

What is his contract history? Originally playing on his four-year rookie contract worth just over $6.5 million, Gesicki received the franchise tag in 2022 that was valued at $10.9 million. Then hitting free agency for the first time in 2023, a quiet market led to a one-year, $4.5 million deal with New England.

Which teams might be in the running? The tight end market will be interesting monitor after the lack of movement last offseason. However, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be one team to watch to add Gesicki as they struggled in the red area last season. The Cincinnati Bengals are also set to see their pair of tight ends hit the open market.

Why should he be expected back? The Patriots have none of their top three tight ends under contract from last season and the position is a valuable one in Alex Van Pelt’s offense. New England’s new staff could feel Gesicki would fare better next season with improved QB play that could consistently get him the ball in the red area. If that’s the case, he’d be a cheap resign after a down year.

Why should he be expected to leave? The tight end in Van Pelt’s offense typically features a player with some juice, as seen last year when David Njoku hauled in 81 receptions for 882 yards. Gesicki does not provide the same amount of explosiveness as a route runner or with the ball in his hands. He also brings no value as an inline blocker.

What is his projected free agency outcome? Gesicki’s projected fit in Van Pelt’s offense will likely lead to New England looking elsewhere at the position. He may only command another low-money ($2-3 million) one-year deal, but Van Pelt may prefer someone he’s worked with at that position for that cost — such as Harrison Bryant or Austin Hooper.

What do you think about Mike Gesicki heading into free agency? Will the Patriots try to keep him around? Or will they want to go in a different direction at cornerback? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.