Scott Chandler and the New England Patriots agreed to a deal on Friday. Chandler spent the last four years burning the Pats whenever they played, and it was enough for Belichick to be convinced to go after him. At 29 years old, the Buffalo Bills decided to let the Iowa product go and released him from the squad, allowing the Patriots to move in and grab him.
Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 260-lbs, Scott Chandler is a massive tight end. He had totaled 384 yards and four touchdowns and 21 first downs against New England in four seasons. The Patriots other tight end, Rob Gronkowski, is 6-foot-6 and 265-lbs, making this possible new tandem a matchup nightmare for defenses.
When Hernandez was with the club, they would play in a two tight end set, with Gronk and Hernandez both lining up as eligible receivers for Brady. Since the absence of Hernandez, New England has relied on a single tight end and mainly slot passes to receiver Julian Edelman. The addition of Chandler allows the return of the two tight end set, and it gives quarterback Tom Brady another big red-zone target.
Since the departure of Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis earlier in the week, New England has scrambled to bolster its pass rush and add a few minor defensive pieces. Chandler is known to be more of a pass catcher than a blocking tight end, but Belichick is known to get the best out of his players and hopefully for the Patriots, this is no exception.
Brady has done a lot more with a lot less, but bolstering the offense keeps the Patriots on a higher platform than the rest of the AFC East.