Reinforcements arrive in the form of offensive muscle

The NFL’s best tight end duo now plays in New England.

The Patriots and Chargers tight end Hunter Henry agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $37.5 million, including $25 million in guarantees, according to reports Tuesday. Henry’s addition came after the Pats landed former Titans tight end Jonnu Smith with a similarly structured deal on Monday. Henry is an established top-10 player at his position.

Last season, he caught 60 passes for 613 yards and four touchdowns in Los Angeles. Making $12.5 million per season, Henry and Smith are now tied as the third-highest-paid tight ends in the league. Along with the rest of the Pats’ new free agents, they can sign as soon as today at 4 p.m., when the league’s new year opens and the “legal tampering” period of free agency ends.

Henry is a known favorite of Bill Belichick, who spoke highly of him ahead of the Pats’ game at the Chargers last December.

“Henry’s really been a great player,” he said. “I’ve watched him pretty much his whole career. He started at Pulaski Academy down in Little Rock … went to the Chargers and with (Virgil) Green out, he’s really played the Y role this year and showed good ability to block, catch.

Belichick continued: “He runs a variety of routes. He’s come back off the injury and has been a very, very productive player for them.”

Over the 2019 season, Henry bounced back from a torn ACL to catch 55 balls for 652 yards and five touchdowns. He initially broke out as a second-round rookie starter in 2016, when he scored eight touchdowns. Henry followed that year with a 45-catch campaign for 579 yards and four scores, before injury struck and snuffed out his hopes of building on that in his third year.

Henry is sure-handed, having only dropped two passes over 913 offensive snaps last season. He’s a mismatch down the seams and is regarded as a decent run-blocker. Henry and Smith should immediately strengthen the Pats’ run game and lift them from a league-low ranking in twotight end usage last season to one of the highest rates in the NFL in 2021.

Hunter Henry, TE

Grade: A

Analysis: The Patriots offense is officially a problem.

Through Henry and Smith, the Pats can dominate the middle of the field again, as they did for almost two decades with Tom Brady at the controls. This is a move that bolsters all aspects of the offense, especially in the red zone. Henry’s

deal is the perfect length at three years, so the Pats have secured him through the prime of his career.

The Pats are now built to overpower teams and give Cam Newton the weapons he needs to return to the level everyone expected when he signed a year ago. Signing one of Henry or Smith would have been a home run for the Patriots. But with Belichick continuing to swing for the free agency fences, he’s connected again.

Together, these tight ends will give the Pats a muchneeded offensive makeover for years to come.