The Patriots weren’t just window shopping for a tight end, they went ahead and signed one on Wednesday.
Michael Hoomanawanui signed a contract with the team after going to New England to meet with them on Tuesday, per his agent Rick Smith. The move reunites Hoomanawanui with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after the two men worked together in St. Louis last season.
The Patriots haven’t announced the move yet, nor have they announced a coorresponding move to get Hoomanawanui on the roster. It’s expected that tight end Visanthe Shiancoe will be heading to injured reserve, although it’s not clear whether or not he would be given the designation allowing him to return to the active roster after eight weeks.
Hoomanawanui had 20 catches for 299 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams last season over the past two seasons, although he’s not coming to New England to challenge Rob Gronkowski or Aaron Hernandez for playing time. If you’re going to run two tight ends on just about every play, you’re going to need some depth and Hoomanawanui will be providing that first and foremost.