The New England Patriots made somewhat of a surprising move on Tuesday, trading offensive lineman Logan Mankins to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round pick. Wright, an undrafted free agent out of Rutgers, had a productive rookie season, recording 54 catches for 571 yards and a touchdown.
Tim Wright traded to Patriots; carries fantasy intrigue but multiple risks
The Patriots made a minor splash on Tuesday when they acquired Tim Wright from the Bucs in exchange for Logan Mankins. We break down the fantasy implications.
Stacy Revere
The Patriots wanted to clear up cap space and chose to move Mankins when he did not agree to a pay cut. Wright gives Tom Brady another potential weapon to work with, while the Bucs get a much-needed upgrade to their interior line with the veteran Mankins.
Fantasy impact: Mankins should be a boost to Doug Martin's fantasy prospects, but Wright is the real wild card in this move. He has athletic tools but isn't much of a blocker and has just over a week to learn a new offense before the regular season begins.
Wright is worth a waiver claim at the least, and could surprise people once he gets acclimated into the new offense, but people expecting him to be the new Aaron Hernandez next to Rob Gronkowski will be disappointed. That duo will likely never be recreated again, and lots of fantasy owners got burned chasing the Zach Sudfeld hype last year. Wright is an intriguing talent, but probably won't be able to help your team right out of the gate.
