FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots acquired third-year tight end Eric Saubert from the Atlanta Falcons on Monday for a conditional draft pick.
The selection headed to Atlanta is a conditional seventh-round draft choice, league sources tell ESPN.
Saubert, who enters his third NFL season, was part of a crowded depth chart in Atlanta headlined by Austin Hooper and Luke Stocker. In New England, he joins a mix of players who are vying to help fill the void created by Rob Gronkowski's retirement.
The trade comes four days after one of the Patriots' top tight ends, Matt LaCosse, hobbled off the field in the preseason opener with an undisclosed leg injury.