Gesicki: time to get move on
FOXBOROUGH — Mike Gesicki is busy working on getting in rhythm with Mac Jones.
After all, if the Patriots new tight end and his quarterback want to be in lockstep, they’ve got to know each other’s moves on and off the field/dance floor.
The players share an affinity for performing Griddy dances after touchdowns, which could make for some interesting celebrations this season. Gesicki is hoping to continue showing off his moves to Patriots fans.
“Hey, listen, I’m not opposed to it. Hopefully Coach [Bill] Belichick doesn’t mind it, but, if it presents itself, maybe,” Gesicki said Thursday as he met the New England media for the first time.
Has he compared his moves to Jones’s?
“No, I have not,” Gesicki said with a chuckle. “I have not, but both could probably use some work.”
Gesicki has jumped right into the Patriots offseason program and has even done some preprogram work with Jones, staying in the basement of the quarterback’s home.
“He’s got a nice set-up over there,” Gesicki said.
The throwing session at a local high school was an important step in building a foundation.
“Just kind of getting to know him, building that relationship, that chemistry,” Gesicki said. “It was cool. Bailey [Zappe] was there that day, too. It was a good day for a lot of guys to gain camaraderie and get to work.”
Gesicki, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $9 million, has been really impressed with the vibe Jones has given.
“Really cool dude. Cool personality. Love the energy, the juice he kind of brings to some throwing sessions and all that stuff,” he said.
Gesicki sensed that Jones would be a popular topic during his chat with reporters.
“Obviously [he has a] great arm, accurate, all that kind of stuff,” he said. “Make sure I check all the boxes because I know everyone is going to want to talk about it. He’s awesome. Really excited to continue working with him. So, it’s been good.”
Gesicki said the Patriots’ structured system was a big enticement when weighing his free agent choices. He also called DeVante Parker, his former Dolphins teammate, and received “nothing but great” reports about playing in New England.
He is also rekindling his relationship with offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who recruited him (but never got to coach him) at Penn State.
“O’B has a great system. I think it’s exciting to get in the meeting rooms and kind of hear how things are run and the terminology,” said Gesicki, who noted there are similarities between O’Brien’s offense and the one Chad O’Shea ran in Miami. “It’s very, very basic right now. We watch some tape of how it’s been run and things like that, so, I think it’s going to be exciting.”
Something to do
So, how did Mike Vrabel morph into a red zone scoring machine? Boredom.
Vrabel, who was voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame Wednesday, revealed he was usually an early arrival on game days and the thought of just sitting around wasn’t very appealing.
“I used to warm up with Drew [Bledsoe], just go out before the game, a couple hours before, goof around, run routes. I didn’t want to sit at my locker if I got there early, so I wanted to do something. And I said, well, you know, let’s go out and catch balls for the quarterback,” said Vrabel. “So, I would mess around with Drew and then I think he might’ve said, ‘Hey,’ to [offensive coordinator] Charlie [Weis], ‘This guy could probably actually do something,’ And it never materialized. Then I think maybe the nextactually do year, they might’ve said, ‘Hey, give this a try. Learn the plays.’ My first touchdown was in San Diego, and we lost. So, nobody really talked about it, and then it kind of just materialized from there. But probably Charlie Weis and Drew probably came up with the idea.”
Vrabel finished his Patriots career with 10 catches — all for touchdowns — including scores in backto-back Super Bowl wins over the Panthers and Eagles. Those catches in the biggest games “where everything’s a fog and all of a sudden through a bunch of helmets and hands, Tom [Brady] managed to find the football and get it through” are the ones that stand out the most.
Vrabel, the current Titans coach, and longtime Patriots assistant
Dane Scarnecchia will be enshrined on a mutually agreed upon date to be determined after the NFL releases its schedule next week.