Who Should I Start? Giovanni Ricci or Jackson Hawes

Monday, February 3, 7:02 PM

The New England Patriots signed free-agent tight end Giovanni Ricci (knee) to a Reserve/Futures deal on Monday. Ricci was on the Cleveland Browns' practice squad in 2024 but never was active for a regular-season game and was cut in August due to a knee injury. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan made his NFL debut in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers, with all 36 of his career games coming with Carolina. In three NFL seasons, Ricci has caught only nine of 12 targets for 102 yards and no touchdowns with the Panthers. Ricci is more of a blocker than a pass-catcher and will now represent tight end depth for the Patriots throughout the offseason and into training camp this summer. The most likely scenario is that he'll effective serve as a fullback for new Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Saturday, October 11, 2:49 PM

Buffalo Bills rookie tight end Jackson Hawes could see a small uptick in opportunities if Dalton Kincaid (oblique) is ruled out ahead of Monday night's matchup against Atlanta. The fifth-round pick has appeared in every game this season but has been used sparingly in the passing game, seeing just four targets through five weeks--hauling in all of them. While Hawes' strong blocking skills have earned him steady snaps, he remains a distant option in Buffalo's offensive pecking order. Even with a potential increase in playing time, his fantasy value is negligible, and he should be avoided in all formats unless his role expands dramatically in the coming weeks.