Henry ‘fired up’ to play with Smith
Dynamic duo bring offensive punch
Hunter Henry’s reaction to the Patriots’ continued pursuit of him, after they had already locked up Jonnu Smith, was similar to what everyone else in Patriot Nation was feeling on Day 2 of free agency: Holy bleep!
Henry was both stunned and “super pumped” at the same time that the talks with the Patriots were renewed, and a deal eventually got done.
While the primary message to Patriots fans with Bill Belichick landing the two best tight ends in free agency was that he was going for it, instead of having a longer rebuilding process, there was a similar reaction for Henry.
The former Chargers tight end may have listed having a “good quarterback” as one of the biggest factors in where he was going to sign, along with financial implications, but Belichick’s grand plan was also important in the end.
“I trust what we’re building here with the Patriots,” Henry said on a Zoom call with reporters Monday. “I think that was a big (factor) into my decision on why I wanted to be a Patriot. Just the trust of coach Belichick, and what we’re building there. And I’m just fired up to be a part of it.”
So the bottom line was Cam Newton didn’t seem to figure into the Henry equation as much as where the Patriots were headed, along with hooking up with Belichick, who he’s known since his high school days at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Belichick and Kevin Kelley, Henry’s high school coach, have had a longstanding relationship, making the Patriots head coach a long-time fan of Henry.
Of course, there were plenty of other suitors for Henry, making the free agency process “a bit stressful” as he described.
But when the Patriots kept after him, the thought of playing in an offense with Smith as his partner in crime also became pretty appealing.
Henry always appreciated how much attention the Patriots had paid to the tight end position, changing the whole dynamic with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez a decade ago.
And, having played in a Chargers offense that also featured Antonio Gates back when Henry was a rookie, he understands the dynamic of having two top-line tight ends in an offense and the mismatches that can be created.
“Obviously, the Patriots’ long history of tight ends, I watched it from afar and admired it. I feel like they kinda put the tight end on the map again,” he said. “And so many tight ends in their history have been so great. Just the rich history of it, and how they use the tight ends … it’s really, really exciting. So I’m pumped to be able to get into the system, learn it, and just see how I can adapt my game to it, and everything that goes with it, with Jonnu, everything. I’m really fired up about it and very excited.”
Henry must have said “fired up,” and “pumped” more than a dozen times during his session with the media. He seemed elated to be with his new team.
But the union with Smith really has him stoked, along with seeing what offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has in store for the duo.
For his part, Henry loves what he and Smith bring to the table, and how that might play out in an offense.
He still seemed a bit shocked that the Patriots wanted to add him, after signing Smith.
“It just kind of happened. I didn’t think this would happen, where we’d both end up in the same place … I don’t think anyone really thought about that,” he said. “Obviously, when I saw him go to the Patriots right out of the gates, I was really happy for him. I just didn’t know if it was going to happen for me, too. And then, obviously we started talking again, and got it figured out, and was fired up to join, too.
“I just feel like we can complement each other in a cool way,” he said. “Obviously, the Patriots have had a lot of success with tight ends, so I’m excited to hopefully add to that.”
The combination of Henry and Smith will allow the Patriots to create mismatches in the passing game. The duo are also both good blockers, which will enhance the run game, and essentially, make the
Patriots less predictable on offense.
Belichick made sure he landed both, by extending top of the market contracts for Henry (3 years, $37.5 million, $25 million guaranteed) and Smith (4 years, $50 million, $31.25 guaranteed).
Henry is coming off a season where he caught 60 passes for 613 yards, with four TD catches. Smith pulled in 41 passes for 418 yards with eight touchdowns.
The Patriots have not gotten much production out of the position since Gronkowski’s departure. It’s been one of the biggest reasons for the downfall of the offense in recent years.
Henry is hoping to change that. He indicated he had just finished up a throwing session with Jarrett Stidham and some other Patriots receivers out west before speaking with the media. He also said he had spoken with Newton, and was “excited” to play with him.
“I’m looking forward to kind of immersing myself in the locker room, the culture, everything,” he said, “so it’s good to kind of be able to do that now, even in the offseason.”
Then there’s Belichick. Henry was thrilled to finally be able to hook up with the Patriots head coach, who naturally recruited him out of college, as his head coach.
“I have a ton of respect for coach, the Patriots, I’m just excited to be under him now, and for him to be my coach,” Henry said of Belichick. “I’m excited to learn and become a better football player.”