Lance

Kendricks

The Bolts also re-signed DE Chris Peace, and to make room for the signings, they waived WR Andre Patton and placed S Adrian Phillips on injured reserve. Kendricks will be a depth option while Hunter Henry rehabs back from his knee injury.

They also waived safety Obi Melifonwu. The moves create a roster spot for Antonio Brown. Kendricks was suspended for Week 1, but the Patriots are moving forward without him. He shouldn’t struggle for interest.

Initially drafted by OC Josh McDaniels with the Rams at No. 47 overall in 2011, Kendricks will now ride the pine with fellow TE Ben Watson during New England’s season opener against the Steelers. He received probation for a 2017 marijuana charge back in July. Very much on the bubble, it doesn’t bode well for Kendricks’ future that his contract is non-guaranteed. Matt LaCosse will likely be an every-down inline starter in Week 1.

With Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen gone and Ben Watson suspended, the Patriots have very little at tight end. Kendricks was drafted by OC Josh McDaniels with the Rams at No. 47 overall in 2011 but never became a dynamic pass-catcher. Now 31, he’ll simply be competing for a job alongside the likes of Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, and Ryan Izzo.

He appeared in court last week. The charge, which resulted from a traffic stop in September of 2017, will be dismissed if Kendricks completes eight hours of community service with at least half of that time spent at four Milwaukee high schools. The 31-year-old appeared in 16 games last season, compiling 19 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown while backing up Jimmy Graham in Green Bay.

Kendricks got five targets in his NFL debut, dropping two of them. The bad news is he’s a rookie tight end, a position at which first-year players have a long history of struggling. The good news is St. Louis lacks playmakers in the receiver corps and will need Kendricks eventually. He’s got a clear path to a bump in targets with Danny Amendola out indefinitely.

His lone reception was an impressive grab over Corey Webster for a third down conversion, but his other three targets were uncatchable. It’s another bump in the road for the youngster, but there’s still reason for hope. Kendricks has a ton of talent and St. Louis lacks playmakers in their receiver corps. He can’t be trusted as a TE1 yet, but monitor him as the season progresses.

Although Kendricks is officially day-to-day after an MRI turned up “no serious issues” with his foot, he’s unlikely to play against the Browns if he fails to turn in a full practice this week. Averaging 1.8 catches and 22.8 yards, Kendricks is well off the fantasy radar.

A popular sleeper pick coming into the season, Kendricks is averaging just 1.8 catches for 21.3 yards with one game to go. More lumbering than advertised with poor hands, Kendricks won’t be worth a late-round flier in 10-12 team leagues in 2012.

It’s an upgrade for Kendricks, who failed to practice last week after going down in Week 9. He’ll likely need to turn in a full practice by Friday to be active against the Seahawks, but is under increased pressure to make a speedy return after Michael Hoomanawanui was diagnosed with a torn ACL Monday.