Rob Gronkowski’s retirement left a big hole in the Patriots’ passing game. New England still has WR Julian Edelman, but the team needs to find a tight end to make up for Gronk’s lost production. Fortunately, the answer may already be on their roster in the form of a veteran in his first season with the team.

What New England has lost

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It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick gave to me when drafting my silliness in 2010. My life experiences over the last 9 years have been amazing both on and off the field. The people I have meet, the relationships I have built, the championships I have been apart of, I just want to thank the whole New England Patriots organization for every opportunity I have been giving and learning the great values of life that I can apply to mine. Thank you to all of Pats Nation around the world for the incredible support since I have been apart of this 1st class organization. Thank you for everyone accepting who I am and the dedication I have put into my work to be the best player I could be. But now its time to move forward and move forward with a big smile knowing that the New England Patriots Organization, Pats Nation, and all my fans will be truly a big part of my heart for rest of my life. It was truly an incredible honor to play for such a great established organization and able to come in to continue and contribute to keep building success. To all my current and past teammates, thank you for making each team every year special to be apart of. I will truly miss you guys. Cheers to all who have been part of this journey, cheers to the past for the incredible memories, and a HUGE cheers to the uncertain of whats next.

A post shared by Rob Gronkowski (@gronk) on Mar 24, 2019 at 2:53pm PDT

Gronkowski ranks among the best tight ends in history, ranking behind the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. In his nine seasons, Gronk played in 115 games, recording 521 catches for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns. This doesn’t even count the numbers from his 16 postseason games.

A particular threat in the red zone, Gronk’s biggest issue was durability. A rash of injuries caused him to play 16 games just twice in his career (in his first two NFL seasons). If he was able to take the field more, his stats would be more impressive.

Lance Kendricks as a replacement?

The #Patriots are adding some tight end help before training camp, signing TE Lance Kendricks, source said. He had 19 catches for the #Packers last year and will assist in filling the Rob Gronkowski void.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 24, 2019

No matter who New England names as the No. 1 tight end on the depth chart, he will have a tough time filling Gronk’s shoes. Lance Kendricks, who the Patriots signed on the first day of training camp, may be their best option.

New England is his third team since the 31-year-old entered the league in 2011. The former second-round pick played his first six seasons with the Rams before signing with the Packers as a free agent prior to the 2017 season.

Kendricks has caught 241 receptions in eight seasons, gaining 2,505 yards and scoring 19 touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t very impressive. However, he had to catch passes from quarterbacks like Sam Bradford and Case Keenum — not a recipe a for success.

Why will things be different in New England?

Lance Kendricks' Josh McDaniels connection should help ease the new tight end's transition to the Patriots' offense. https://t.co/uqKMTjHMnP pic.twitter.com/oN1mMHdeAg

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) July 27, 2019

Kendricks has a good chance to succeed with the Patriots due to the combo of QB Tom Brady and Head Coach Bill Belichick. Belichick is perhaps the best coach ever when it comes to creating a game plan that gets the best out of players.

If Kendricks can develop a good rapport, he will do all he can to help the team win. The tight end also has experience working with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who worked for the Rams during Kendricks’ rookie season.

The roster’s other tight-end options

Kendricks doesn’t have much competition for the starting job. The biggest obstacle may be veteran Ben Watson, who’s on the decline and facing a potential suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Other tight ends on the roster include Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, and Ryan Izzo.

Barring an injury, Kendricks should easily beat them in training camp. Even if he doesn’t rise above Watson at the start of the season, he could end 2019 with the best stats of any Patriots tight end.