Patriots trade 2020 draft pick for TE Michael Roberts

The Patriots and Lions completed a trade for TE Michael Roberts, a player who was once viewed in the NFL Draft community as a guy with intriguing upside.

The New England Patriots suffered one of the offseasons biggest losses when tight end Rob Gronkowski abruptly retired from the NFL. On Thursday, they made a minor transaction in an effort to find his potential replacement.

The Patriots traded a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the Lions for Michael Roberts, the former fourth-round pick of the 2017 NFL draft from Toledo.

Roberts was an underachiever in Detroit despite, at times, flashing some playmaking upside. He appeared in just eight games last season (two starts) and finished the year with nine catches for 100 yards and three touchdowns.

He’s managed just 13 catches in his first two seasons.

Roberts was placed on injured reserve last season with a shoulder injury and with the Lions’ selection of Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 overall, it was clear there was no longer any room on the roster for him. And while the Patriots’ need is pretty obvious, he isn’t a lock to make that squad, either.

Veteran Benjamin Watson is the likely starter once the regular season rolls around, but he’ll be forced to sit out the first four games while serving a suspension for violating the league’s substances policy.

Watson will be allowed to participate in all offseason activities, training camp and the preseason, which will limit the number of reps Roberts will get with the first team. The depth behind Watson isn’t exactly a list’ of Who’s Who at the position, so it would take something of an epic fail for Roberts to hit the unemployment line this summer.

Still, if Bill Belichick has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.