Getty ImagesVisanthe Shiancoe is heading to New England.
After drawing interest from both the Patriots and the Eagles, Shiancoe has signed this evening with the Patriots. A league source tells PFT it’s a one-year, $1.2 million deal with $400,000 guaranteed and another $800,000 in incentives.
A free agent tight end who has played the last five seasons with the Vikings, Shiancoe started 14 games in Minnesota and caught 36 passes for 409 yards last season. The 32-year-old Shiancoe has played all 16 games every season of his nine-year NFL career.
In New England, Shiancoe joins a very crowded tight end depth chart that also includes Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, plus two players currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list, Daniel Fells and Jake Ballard.
With Shiancoe now in New England, the Eagles may turn their attention toward free agent tight end Jeremy Shockey, whom they were considering bringing in for a visit today before calling that meeting off when Shiancoe came for a visit.
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Wow…. the Pats offense is loaded for bear this season. Unbelievable.
they will probably cut him before season starts
Dirt cheap for a consistent, reliable player who was very effective last time he had a great QB (Favre) working with him. They needed depth to overcome Gronk’s injury last year and didn’t have it – this is a great move.
DAMMMMMM. Was hoping the Birds would get him.
I think the patriots are trying to take all the good tight ends off the market!
Check again. There are plenty of games he didn’t play.
Love this move!
I dont care what the Patriots do the rest of the off season as long as they pay jake ballard…..they pay him, i take back everything i said about the move……..the cut him, many people wont be happy.
Thats what they need another tight end
This signing makes no sense. Please help me. How about they pay Welker instead of a 5th tight end (3rd on depth chart)?
It was dumb of the Vikings to let Shank walk. John Carlson isn’t an upgrade and it took $5m/year to bring him in.
A rebuilding team doesn’t do itself any favors by getting younger for its own sake.
The Pats go after a veteran 3rd tight end EVERY YEAR. I don’t understand why people think it’s so strange that they have been looking at tight ends all summer.
WTH would he sign there for? Crowded, but I suppose if he can make it through week 1 he’ll have $400K in the bank guaranteed….
Man. I’d say if Gronk or Hernandez goes down… they’re covered at TE position.
They will wish they hadn’t. He is slow and can’t make a clutch catch.
Why do they need a 3rd string TE?
Maybe they are looking to trade Hernandez since its going to be almost impossible to sign him and gronk when their contracts are up at the same time.
The Pats will struggle to stretch the did again this year and that will cost them in the playoffs against good defenses. Their offense will be played in a 10-15 yard box from the line of scrimage.
This move doesn’t help them at all.
Are people questioning why they need a 3rd and 4th Tight End?
Just go rewatch the SB.
BTW Hernandez might officially be a TE, but he lined up as a WR last season 70 percent of the time.
Ok, I’ll ask it… why the hell would Shiancoe sign with the Pats, all things considered? He could actually get on the field somewhere else…
Remember against the Broncos in the playoffs when they lined up Hernandez in the backfield…I get the feeling we’ll be seeing more of that.
for everyone asking why, the Pats LOVE using a 3 TE set. basically, two pass catching TEs and a third as a blocker. this is a smart move here, and im not even a pats fan
why would he sign with ne, behind gronk and hernandez. he comes to philly he might be taking celeks job, or at least tons of reps. i dont get it. if shockey plays in philly, he puts up twice shiancoes numbers
Maybe we will see the first ever 4 te set.
Shank fell off the last few games of 2011. Some really bad drops and all 3 of his TDs came inside the 5 with one being a trick play.
Are the Patriots aware that only 11 offensive players can be on the field at once, and 5 of them have to be o-linemen? Next thing you know they’ll have signed Plax and Shockey, too.
Well, Eli Manning lost BOTH of his tight ends in SB 46 and he did MORE than fine. Another tight end? Really?
Should have went to Philly… guess he just doesn’t want to play..
Daniel Fells injury must be worse than they are leading on.
I can’t stand the Patriots, but as a Vikings fan I couldn’t be happier for Shiancoe…he’s a helluva leader and a helluva player.
Why are people forgetting that we have Brandon Lloyd he can stretch the field donte stallworth if he has anything left can stretch the field
bigbluenationdb says:
Jul 24, 2012 7:39 PM
The Pats will struggle to stretch the did again this year and that will cost them in the playoffs against good defenses. Their offense will be played in a 10-15 yard box from the line of scrimage.
This move doesn’t help them at all.
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I guess you were asleep when they signed Brandon Lloyd
Gronk averaged 14+ ypc, he can definitely stretch the seam.
Whens the last time Bilichick added this many FAs? Panicked, he is. Brady’s career isn’t getting any longer..
Finally. I was really concerned about the Patriots’ lack of talent at the tight end position.
smart pickup. already locked up gronk to a long term contract and hopefully hernandez after this year. hoping to see some more veteran pickups for the d. got some great young talent for the d this offseson but we NEED some better corners!
Wow that’s quite the receiving corps
Perhaps Aaron Hernandez will be seeing more time at WR
Shancoe sucks…stupid move by Pats.
Yawn. Chase Blackburn will smoke this fool too.
Just a thought.. Maybe they signed him just to get him off the market. He will get released late in the preseason..
Of course, they need another TE. A serious position of need……lol, who cares?
i expect to see a lot of 10 tight end formations from the pats this year.
They tried to sign him 2 days ago but he kept dropping the contract.
@nohopeleft:
conveniently, you forget, Blackburn was up against a significantly reduced Gronk.
Blackburn, has no chance against a healthy Gronk.
Just like the rest of the league, he’s no different
GNat dreamer
How about spending some dough on defensive reinforcements. You can’t play 5 tight ends at a time.
After this signing, I demand to be #1 in the PFT pre-season rankings.
/s
(He’s a good player that needs a good QB throwing him the ball, but I’m not even sure he’ll make the team)
Shank is a good person and a great interview, but if you paid any attention to him in MN, he’s a lousy blocker, drops too many passes and seems to line up incorrectly or engage in illegal procedure at least twice a game. He’ll drive the HC nuts.
kvanhorn87 says:Jul 24, 2012 7:20 PM
This signing makes no sense. Please help me. How about they pay Welker instead of a 5th tight end (3rd on depth chart)?
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Yea because Welker was going to sign for $400,000 just like Shiancoe got….
Nice having you play in MN, good luck in NE Shank.
giantssb42champs says:Jul 24, 2012 9:50 PM
How about spending some dough on defensive reinforcements
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Draft: DE Jones, LB Hightower, S Wilson, DE Bequette,CB Dennard
FA: FS Gregory, DE Fanane, DE Scott, CB/S Allen
Good draft solid free agents
(insert Shiancoe weener comment here)
Shank is defiantly not a shoo in for this roster. As a mn fan he dropped off last year but that could be due to the switch to Ponder as QB
Brady for 6k this year… Watch
maybe an insurance policy in case one of their stars gets hurt or isn’t ready
wow, this signing is as good as haynesworth and ochocinco.
Best of luck to Visanthe Shiancoe in New England! Hate to see him leave Minnesota. Been a solid and under appreciated player for the Vikes.
This signing further proves the Ballard claim off waivers was just a thumb in the nose to the Giants for beating them a 2nd time in the Superbowl.
If Shanicoe works out, why wouldn’t they resign him next year for another one year deal?
The tripod will be missed in MN. Dude worked his way from mediocre with potential to one of the better players at his position. His red zone conversion rate with Favre was ridiculous.
And on a far more serious note, there are more tight ends on the Patriots than at the University of Arizona now, amirite?
How many former Giants TE’s are the Pats going to sign? Who’s next Shockey? Better yet, Bavaro!
This is not unusual. A couple years ago they brought in Alge crumpler. They worked out Dallas Clark this year as well. The TE position is now a huge part of there offense so if Gronk and or Hernandez goes down they need a contingincy plan. I definitly don’t see them keeping all there TE’s but have no worries aboit anyone being traded especially Hernandez. If he has a year like last year or even better he will get his money. Bill wouldn’t be going through all this trouble of switching up the offense just a little bit to accomadate these Tight Ends if they were a trading chip.
Good for him. We screwed him royally.
Trade bait if he puts up decent numbers in the early season. This is BB’s M.O.
I hear New England has already special ordered XXL shower towels to accommodate Shiancoe… So, to all you New England fans out there, it looks like he’ll be adding depth and, ahem, length to the NE TEs for some time to come… let’s just hope the Pats can keep Jason Whitlock out of the lockerroom to avoid another uncomfortable article like his 2010 piece ‘It’s Tough to Measure Up’ featuring an extended reference to Shiancoe and his “Unfrozen Rope”…
The Pats seem to just be adding players to make sure other teams don’t get them. Let’s see how many times he gets to touch the ball!
I heard Shockey used to pressure eli manning and other quarterbacks for the ball. I cant’ see him doing that lining up in a formation with Lloyd, Welker, Gaffney, Branch, Gronk and Hernandez.
Jake Ballard has already been placed on the Active-PUP.
When the first cut down day comes around the Patriots will move him to the reserve PUP which will mean he can’t play until week 6 or they will place him on IR when the season starts or they will place him on new 8-week IR. He will not be cut. He is under their control until 2015. 24 years old. 6’6″. Already owns a ring. He isn’t going anywhere. Shiancoe will be in his role this season.
gottem13x says:
Jul 24, 2012 7:33 PM
Maybe they are looking to trade Hernandez since its going to be almost impossible to sign him and gronk when their contracts are up at the same time.
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Guess you missed the part where Gronk signed his 5 year extension…
This is just a depth move since Ballard won’t be ready until next season and Fells has been injured most of the offseason…Shiancoe will have a chance to be the third TE and with 3 quality TEs on the field at one time, the matchup problems the Patriots can cause will have coaches going nuts
Patriots are rebuilt on the fly with no 4-12 season in the middle of it. Hats off to them and the class organizations like the NYG and Packers.
Shiancoe will be Ballard for this year- if he plays well, he’s insurance for next year if Ballard can’t play; if he plays poorly, he’s gone. Great move by BB at a cost of only 400K guaranteed.
Why can’t the Jaguars think like this?