Pats Pulpit on Eli Raridon
From the article
The New England Patriots' first touchdown of the season went to rookie tight end Eli Raridon. The following week, Raridon was on scene again, generating one of the team's explosive plays in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers by fighting through defensive pass interference to haul in a 30-yard catch.
STACKED’s take
Raridon's early TD and 30-yard catch show rapid development; coaches praise blocking progression and offensive flexibili
Rookie tight end Raridon has generated early production and impressed coaches with rapid development; scored the Patriots' first TD of the season and hauled in a 30-yard catch vs. Pittsburgh by fighting through defensive pass interference. Tight ends coach Thomas Brown highlighted his transformation from arrival to current form, praising his growth potential, intelligence, coachability, and toughness at the point of contact. Head coach Mike Vrabel noted Raridon has become "a better blocker earlier than we thought." Brown emphasized Raridon's progression in run-game assignments against physical edge rushers like Uchenna Nwosu (38 snaps in-line vs. Seattle), combined with his natural route-running ability and hands. This early production has already expanded Patriots offensive flexibility; when Raridon was deployed in 12-personnel vs. Pittsburgh, defenses matched with base defense rather than staying in nickel, allowing New England to generate 76 yards (12.7 YPA) on six passes in those base-defense snaps, including Raridon's 30-yard reception against a linebacker matchup.
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