The Patriots haven't had their full allotment of tight ends at practice in pads since the opening day of training camp. Brady hasn't practiced in pads since getting injured the second day of camp. Watson was hurt Monday and has missed the last two days with an unspecified injury. Mills, who spent last season on injured reserve and was hurt on the first day of camp, returned to contact practices this week.
The only tight end to be a regular par ticipant is third-year man Matt Kranchick, who was signed to the practice squad last December.
"Yeah, I'd like to think that if they wouldn't have gotten hurt I still would have got the reps," said Kranchick, "but as it worked out I'm getting to show a lot more what I can do and I'm trying to make the most out of it."
Kranchick's gain, however, is the Patriots' loss. A team that has leaned heavily on two tight end sets, New England has been handcuffed somewhat by the paucity of players at that position. To add depth, the team signed journeyman Marcellus Rivers, who didn't play last season.
"If we're light in one area, hopefully we can pick up the slack and get ahead in another area and then at some point balance it out," said coach Bill Belichick. "We do what we can do and what we can't do, for right now, we don't worry about it and move on."
At 6 feet 7 inches, 265 pounds, Kranchick looks the part of a big, bad blocking tight end. Yet, despite only having one catch in eight regular-season games -- "Yeah, somebody painted [the ball] up and gave it to me," he said -- Kranchick said he's been more of receiving tight end.
"The biggest difference is kind of becoming more a blocker," said Kranchick, a sixth-round choice of the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Penn State in 2004. "With Ben and Dave and Garrett kind of being smaller tight ends, they want those guys to catch. I've been kind of playing the 'Y' tight end and showing I can block. That's something I'm excited to do."
In the Patriots' offensive scheme there is a "Y" tight end and an "F" tight end. The "Y" was the position Graham played most often. The 6-6, 280-pound Brady, who was signed from Jacksonville in the offseason, is supposed to fill that role.
