Name: Jace Amaro

Position: Tight End

College: Texas Tech

How Jace Amaro Meets Team Needs

Tight End is a team need for the New England Patriots simply because of injury questions marks surrounding Rob Gronkowski.  When fit,  Gronkowski is the best tight end in the NFL and his presence completely transforms the Patriots’ offense.  If Gronk’ was not prone to the odd disastrous injury then I don’t think tight end would be a big need.  The Pats were spoiled with Hernandez as a number two tight end but,  as it is,  tight end is a must and Jace Amaro fits the bill of a receiving tight that will thrive under Tom Brady.

Impact As A Rookie

As a rookie for the New England Patriots I would expect Amaro to play more than his fair share of snaps but not be an every-down player with his run blocking inconsistencies being the main reason.  The Patriots utilise an up-tempo offense which would require Amaro to take a three-point stance as well as line up in the slot.  From a receiving perspective I would expect the former Red Raider to catch at least 40 passes and three touchdowns as he builds towards being a full-time starter in 2015.

What Jace Amaro Does Well:

Amaro is a flexible route runner who can dominate at the short and intermediate level.  He breaks sharply in his cuts which regularly creates ample separation.  While he is not necessarily elusive in the open field,  he can be slippery and shake a number of tackles with a downhill running style.  As a run blocker,  Amaro has displayed solid technique and willingness and,  although it never fully translated to his game,  the potential is there for an NFL coach to turn him to an every-snap player.

What Jace Amaro Struggles With:

When under pressure from a defensive back or linebacker,  Amaro struggled to haul in passes in traffic.  While a lot of the catches I saw were highly contested or suffered from poor ball placement,  he rarely came down with possession to make a big play.  It begged the question: could you throw the ball up to him under pressure?  Also,  Amaro does not appear to possess great top-end speed in either his routes or with the ball in his hand.  And,  finally,  he rarely lined up in a three-point stance which,  in today’s NFL,  is just as important as being able to run routes as teams up the tempo and keep the same players on the field for both pass and run plays – something which the Patriots do better than anybody.