The Patriots are giving Thomas Odukoya another shot. The tight end, who spent time on New England's practice squad before his contract expired in February, will work out for the team this week as training camp ramps up. It's a low-risk evaluation that actually makes sense when you look at the current depth chart.
Here's the situation: Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper anchor the tight end room, with Marshall Lang, Eli Raridon, Julian Hill, and CJ Dippre rounding out the depth. That's a healthy collection of bodies, but is there elite upside beyond the top two? Not obviously. Lang and Raridon are developmental. Hill and Dippre have shown flashes but haven't consistently separated themselves. This is where Odukoya's workout becomes relevant—not because he's suddenly going to transform the offense, but because training camp is where roster questions get answered.
The smart teams—and let's credit Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf for understanding this—don't let roster construction become dogmatic. If Odukoya can separate in camp, if he shows improved hands or route-running since February, then suddenly you've got another option. If he doesn't, you've burned nothing but a practice squad spot. That's efficient roster management.
The real question is whether the Patriots see something specific they want to evaluate. Did Odukoya work somewhere this offseason and gain tape they like? Or is this pure opportunism—a familiar name, minimal risk, maximum information? Either way, it's the kind of move contending teams make. You're not hoping for miracles at this stage of the offseason. You're being thorough.
Don't mistake this for desperation. The Patriots have decent tight end depth. But depth without explosion is depth without answers. One workout doesn't change much. But if Odukoya balls out over the next few weeks, suddenly the tight end room has another wrinkle. That's worth the cost of admission.
Based on reporting from Pats Pulpit.