{"id":23130,"date":"2025-05-16T01:51:18","date_gmt":"2025-05-16T01:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23130"},"modified":"2025-05-16T01:51:18","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T01:51:18","slug":"breaking-patriots-undrafted-free-agent-stands-out-with-niche-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23130","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Patriots Undrafted Free Agent Stands Out With Niche Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2202586534-e1747353967645.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2202586534-e1747353967645.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2202586534-e1747353967645.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2202586534-e1747353967645.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Patriots Undrafted Free Agent Stands Out With Niche Talent\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><em>Getty A sleeper among the undrafted rookie class is tipped to shine for the New England Patriots.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The New England Patriots paid big money for a pair of notable undrafted free agents, but it\u2019s another member of their post-draft rookie class who\u2019s being touted for special things. All thanks to a niche talent.<\/p>\n<p>Former Alabama tight end CJ Dippre is the pick by Ben Cooper of Pro Football Focus to be the undrafted player worth watching most. Cooper believes \u201cDippre stands out from his peers due to New England\u2019s older tight end room and his blocking ability. His 64.8 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked 24th among Power Four tight ends, and he played an impressive 989 run-blocking snaps across his four college seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dippre will need an X factor, like an aptitude for blocking, if he\u2019s going to muscle his way into a crowded tight end room. The Patriots are already well-stocked at the position, thanks to veterans Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry, while another rookie free agent offers more upside as a pass-catcher.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Niche Tight End Faces Uphill Battle Making Patriots\u2019 Roster<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/motorcyclesports.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-10145-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"New England Patriots snag undrafted gem Efton Chism III aiming to rewrite  his unknown story in the NFL\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Cooper isn\u2019t the only fan of Dippre. A similar endorsement was offered by Patriots.com staff writer Evan Lazar shortly after the draft.<\/p>\n<p>Lazar revealed \u201cDippre was one of my favorite sleepers at tight end in this class. I was surprised he didn\u2019t get drafted. Flashes as a blocker and underneath target with good straight-line speed for YAC (4.69s 40).\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"b1d9719921a8ad578e3ae199b630070d\">\n<div>\n<article>\n<div>\n<p>The #Patriots reportedly signed Alabama TE CJ Dippre as an undrafted rookie. Dippre was one of my favorite sleepers at tight end in this class. I was surprised he didn\u2019t get drafted.<\/p>\n<p>Flashes as a blocker and underneath target with good straight-line speed for YAC (4.69s 40).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Patriots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Patriots<\/a> reportedly signed Alabama TE CJ Dippre as an undrafted rookie. Dippre was one of my favorite sleepers at tight end in this class. I was surprised he didn&#39;t get drafted. <\/p>\n<p>Flashes as a blocker and underneath target with good straight-line speed for YAC (4.69s 40). <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8ioQyPDxy4\">pic.twitter.com\/8ioQyPDxy4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ezlazar\/status\/1916514454713336240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>That reference to how well Dippre blocks is key. He\u2019s a 6-foot-5, 256-pounder who has little to no trouble pushing the pile and putting defenders on skates.<\/p>\n<p>Dippre\u2019s willingness and aggression as a blocker showed up well in a game against Auburn last season, per Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS Media.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"tl\" dir=\"ltr\">CJ Dippre (#81) pancaking Tigers <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/orre6uu7yt\">pic.twitter.com\/orre6uu7yt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tkyles39\/status\/1917748014879302058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will appreciate Dippre\u2019s ability to win the physical duels and reset the line of scrimmage. McDaniels long prized tight ends who can block during his previous stints with the team, such as Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett and Dwayne Allen.<\/p>\n<p>Those players let McDaniels make a gap-based, power running game a staple of New England\u2019s offenses. Dippre could help do the same, provided he stands out among an undrafted group the Pats paid a premium to put together.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Patriots Have Paid Big Money for Rookie Talent<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AP25005688030779-1.jpg?w=1600&amp;resize=1600,900\" alt=\"Patriots 2025 NFL Schedule: Pats to play at least three primetime games\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Not only did the Patriots hand Hooper $5 million to return for one year, they also added ex-Ohio State tight end Gee Scott Jr. after the draft. The latter \u201cwas a four-star wide receiver recruit coming out of high school,\u201d according to NESN\u2019s Keagan Stiefel, so he could be more of a factor in the passing game than Dippre.<\/p>\n<p>Expectations might be low for Scott, but it\u2019s a different story for two other members of this year\u2019s rookie crop. The Patriots gave $234,000 in guaranteed money to a slot-style wide receiver who broke college records set by Cooper Kupp.<\/p>\n<p>Another undrafted skill player received $175,000 and has already drawn comparisons with a running back from the Patriots last Super Bowl-winning team.<\/p>\n<p>Contracts like these show there\u2019s a high pedigree to this year\u2019s undrafted class. It means Dippre will need to produce a particularly strong offseason to make good on the hype.<\/p>\n<p>If he sticks to what he does best, the core skill the Patriots lack on the depth chart, Dippre will have a chance.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A niche skill is predicted to help an undrafted free agent sleeper shine for the New England Patriots, tight end CJ Dippre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING: Patriots Undrafted Free Agent Stands Out With Niche Talent - Breaking News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=23130\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Patriots Undrafted Free Agent Stands Out With Niche Talent - 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