The Patriots added another name to the tight end competition on Thursday, trading for Lions third-year tight end Michael Roberts, a league source confirmed to the Globe. The Patriots are only giving up a conditional seventh-round pick in 2020, per ESPN.
Roberts, listed at 6-5 and 265 pounds, was a fourth-round pick out of Toledo in 2017, but didn’t make much of an impact in two seasons in Detroit. As a rookie Roberts had just four catches for 46 yards in 15 games, and was held out of the Lions’ finale by then-coach Jim Caldwell for reportedly skipping a team meeting.