The New England Patriots have agreed to a trade that sends third-year tight end Jacob Hollister to the Seattle Seahawks, pending a physical, the Patriots announced on Monday. New England will receive a 2020 seventh-round pick in return. Hollister made the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Wyoming in 2017, playing in 15 regular-season games as a rookie, with his primary impact coming on special teams. Injuries limited him to eight games in 2018. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Hollister has totaled eight catches for 94 yards over two seasons. "He has a lot of football in front of him," Patriots coach Bill Belichick of Hollister last offseason. "He didn't have a lot of experience -- had some -- but has gained a lot and will gain a lot more. I think he's got a great future. He works hard, he's a tough kid, he plays hard, practices hard and has become much better at his fundamentals and techniques at his position." The Patriots did not select a tight end in this year's NFL draft, and Hollister was expected to compete for a larger role in 2019 as the team transitions without the retired Rob Gronkowski. Veteran Austin Seferian-Jenkins is now the Patriots' most experienced tight end after signing a one-year deal as a free agent, and the team also inked four-year veteran Matt LaCosse (Broncos) to a two-year deal this offseason. Former Houston Texans tight end Stephen Anderson, who spent last season on New England's practice squad, is also on the depth chart alongside 2018 seventh-round pick Ryan Izzo. The Seahawks, meanwhile, had four tight ends on their 90-man roster before the Hollister trade: veteran Ed Dickson, Nick Vannett, Will Dissly and Tyrone Swoopes. Seattle has also agreed to terms with undrafted free agent Justin Thomas from Mississippi State, a source tells ESPN. Dickson, who will be 32 in July, has two years remaining on his contract but is owed no more guaranteed money. He's set to make $3.3 million in 2019 base salary with a $4.417 million cap charge. Vannett is entering the final year of his rookie deal. Swoopes, a 2017 undrafted free agent, has one catch in two career games. Dissly, last year's fourth-round pick, is coming off a patella tendon injury that ended his rookie season after four games. Pete Carroll said Saturday that Dissly is expected to be ready for the start of the season. "He's making great progress," Carroll said. "Really, everybody is excited that he's going to be OK by the time we open up. At camp it will be a really interesting time to see how far he's come. He's running, he's working, he looks good, his attitude's great, his weight is up and all that, strength is really good. Everything is pointing toward where he is going to be very competitive. We loved the start he had with us last time around. Our hopes are really high that he will be a big part." The Seahawks were projected to have 11 draft picks in 2020 after trading one of their two sixth-rounders next year to move into the seventh-round of this year's draft for Hawaii wide receiver John Ursua. Their 11 projected 2020 picks included an original seventh-rounder plus a compensatory pick in that round. According to OverTheCap.com, losing quarterback Brett Hundley in free agency earned Seattle the seventh-round compensatory pick. ESPN's Brady Henderson contributed to this report.<doc-sep>The New England Patriots didn’t draft a tight end over the weekend, and now they’re trading one. The Patriots are trading Jacob Hollister to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2020 seventh-round draft pick, per the NFL transaction wire. The move leaves the Patriots with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Matt LaCosse, Ryan Izzo, Stephen Anderson and rookie free-agent pickup Andrew Beck at the position. Hollister was expected to take on a big role during the 2018 season but couldn’t stay healthy, missing time with chest and hamstring injuries. Hollister eventually was placed on injured reserve late in the season after catching just four passes for 52 yards in eight games. He had four catches for 42 yards in 15 games during his rookie season in 2017. Hollister came to the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Wyoming in 2017 alongside his twin brother, Cody, an undrafted receiver out of Arkansas. Jacob Hollister’s lack of dependability last season likely played into the Patriots’ decision to trade him. The Patriots get an asset, and Hollister gets a fresh start where he can rebuild his reputation. Cody Hollister was non-tendered as an exclusive rights free agent this offseason. He’s still on the open market. Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images<doc-sep>The New England Patriots have parted ways with another one of their tight ends: according to a report by ESPN’s Field Yates, the team has traded third-year man Jacob Hollister to the Seattle Seahawks. In return, the Patriots will receive a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Hollister originally joined New England as an undrafted free agent in 2017 alongside his twin brother, wide receiver Cody Hollister. After a solid first training camp and preseason, he was able to make the 53-man roster but saw limited action on offense and appeared mostly on special teams. Hollister again made the team as the number three tight end behind Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen in 2018, but injuries limited him to only eight games. With both Gronkowski and Allen gone, there was a feeling that the 25-year-old might take on a bigger role moving forward. Apparently, however, he team had different plans and decided to part ways with Hollister. As a result, only five tight ends remain on the team: Matt LaCosse, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Ryan Izzo and Stephen Anderson — the latter two the only remaining from the 2018 team — as well as rookie free agent Andrew Beck. Hollister, meanwhile, finishes his Patriots career with 23 regular season games played as well as one playoff contest. He caught a combined 9 passes for 94 yards.<doc-sep>
The Patriots passed on the chance to draft a tight end last weekend, and now they’re subtracting from the position. The team traded third-year pro Jacob Hollister to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2020 conditional seventh-round pick. The move leaves the Patriots with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo, and undrafted rookie Andrew Beck at tight end. Hollister initially made the Patriots’ 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2017. His athleticism shined throughout the summer, and he looked to be a player with significant upside. “He has a lot of football in front of him,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said early in 2018 training camp. “He didn’t have a lot of experience – had some – but has gained a lot and will gain a lot more. I think he’s got a great future. He works hard, he’s a tough kid, he plays hard, practices hard and has become much better at his fundamentals and techniques at his position.” Hamstring injuries plagued Hollister throughout his second season. He appeared in eight games, catching four passes for 42 yards before being placed on injured reserve in January. The Pats activated a similar player, Stephen Anderson, in his place for the postseason. Anderson should have a chance to make the roster as a “move” tight end. With Rob Gronkowski retired, the tight end position is full of uncertainty. Right now, Seferian-Jenkins and LaCosse — two free agent signings — are in line to battle for the starting job. Seferian-Jenkins is the superior talent, but he must stay healthy. Seferian-Jenkins has topped 10 games only once in five NFL seasons. In the draft this past weekend, the Iowa duo of T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant came off the board at No. 8 and No. 20, respectively. Both would have been intriguing fits with the Patriots, but the club wasn’t in position to draft either. Ultimately, the Pats declined to address the tight end position altogether. “We work across the board, and we try to rank the players accordingly,” said Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio. “I mean, were there opportunities for us there? I mean, possibly. So it’s always relative to what are your other options, what else are you looking at?”