Patriots Reportedly Interested in Re-Signing Martellus Bennett

The New England Patriots are reportedly interested in bringing back tight end Martellus Bennett as he prepares to hit the free-agent market March 9.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported the Pats' continued interest Saturday, but he noted the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are among teams expected to make a push.

Bennett stepped into a major role for New England after tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered a season-ending back injury in Week 12.

The 29-year-old Texas A&M product finished the year with 55 catches for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. He added 11 grabs for 98 yards in the playoffs.

Although Gronkowski is expected back for the 2017 campaign, he has a long injury history. The question is whether the Patriots want to get in a bidding war for Bennett.

Per Nora Princiotti of the Boston Globe, Bennett said: "You do the math. There's a number that every guy has to hit because you only get so many opportunities to actually get paid in the NFL."

Interestingly, he added: "But, it's like, what is your motives right now? Is it championships or is it the place where you can build your legacy to do things after football? It's like this is the brand I want to build. Is this where I want to be in four years? Can I do that in Jacksonville? Probably not."

All told, it's a solid market for reserve tight ends. The Patriots could get a Jack Doyle, Jared Cook or Ryan Griffin for a more reasonable price.