Who Should I Start? Austin Hooper or Elijah Arroyo

Sunday, March 9, 8:57 PM

The New England Patriots are re-signing veteran tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7 million. Hooper, a two-time Pro Bowler, notched 45 receptions and 476 yards with New England a season ago, his highest marks since his 2021 stint with the Cleveland Browns. While he began the 2024 season cold, the 30-year-old picked it up over the back half -- racking up four catches in five of his last seven appearances as then-rookie signal-caller Drake Maye got acclimated to the NFL. The Stanford product played second fiddle to fellow tight end Hunter Henry last season and figures to do so again if his teammate stays healthy, as the latter out-paced the former handily in snaps (835-575) despite playing in one fewer contest. It's possible Hooper returns some TE2 value this upcoming season, but he's better off left to waivers until he proves otherwise.

Friday, May 2, 11:55 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo (knee) said that the knee injury that slowed him down during the pre-draft process is behind him. Arroyo didn't run the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in February or at his Pro Day due to his knee injury, but the Seahawks estimated that the 6-foot-5, 254-pounder would run a 4.52-second 40 based on his GPS speeds. Despite his knee issue, the Seahawks selected the 22-year-old former Miami product in the second round (50th overall) in last week's draft. Seattle still has Noah Fant, who caught 48 passes for 500 yards and a touchdown on 64 targets in 14 games in 2024, but Arroyo has a shot to carve out a significant role in his rookie season, especially as a red-zone target for quarterback Sam Darnold. Arroyo can probably be ignored in standard redraft leagues this fall but will be an intriguing dynasty/keeper prospect long-term.