Tim Wright Will Have a Great Season with the New England Patriots

The knee-jerk reaction was immediate, expected, emotional and based solely on opinion.

After the Miami Dolphins pressured quarterback Tom Brady countless times and sacked him four times in the second half of Sunday's loss, the chorus rang. Ron Borges of the Boston Herald, among many others, suggested the New England Patriots shouldn't have traded left guard Logan Mankins.

Never mind that Mankins, a six-time Pro Bowl selection with the Patriots, hyperextended his knee in the first quarter playing for his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“If Mankins still played for the Patriots, maybe he wouldn’t had suffered that knee injury,” some claimed.

And forget about Mankins’ 2013 season, as Mankins didn’t play up to his previous standard. According to film study by Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald, Mankins allowed 6.5 sacks, which was second to left tackle Nate Solder’s 10.

Nearly ignored in the loss was Tim Wright, the player New England acquired in the Mankins deal along with a 2015 fourth-round selection.

In his regular-season debut with the Patriots, the second-year tight end caught three passes for 15 yards and a first down.

“Big deal,” naysayers declare. Don’t be so quick to dismiss Wright’s small contribution. Last year, New England’s tight ends not named Rob Gronkowski combined for 14 receptions, 152 yards and one touchdown. Wright shouldn’t have a problem surpassing those numbers.

He had 54 receptions for 571 yards and five touchdowns playing for the Buccaneers last year with quarterback Mike Glennon at the helm. As we know, Glennon won’t be mistaken for Brady anytime soon—he probably never will.

So what could Wright do with Brady tossing him the ball?

Wright is a tight end by name only. At 6’4”, 220 pounds, he’s a receiver by today’s standards. But by playing him at tight end, he’s a mismatch for most linebackers. It’s an advantage Brady will capitalize on often as the season progresses.

Developing chemistry takes time, though. Wright has to earn Brady’s trust through practice and coming through in games.

So far, coaches have praised Wright on his ability to pick up the offense quickly. The next step for Wright is getting in sync with Brady.

Wright showed what he brings to the Patriots in the preseason finale against the New York Giants. With Jimmy Garoppolo under center, Wright had four receptions for 43 yards and a first down. Wright’s night included receptions for 11 and 16 yards.

What should expectations for Wright be? Brady already has a plethora of targets. Maybe Wright doesn’t catch 50-plus passes with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen already on the same page as Brady.

Nevertheless, Wright will make his mark. New England is waiting for Gronkowski to return to form. When he does, Wright should see more favorable matchups as teams pay greater attention to Gronkowski.

As Wright becomes a difference-maker for New England, we could hear people singing Wright’s praises.

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