Experience: 9 Seasons in the NFL, FA Addition by the New England Patriots
Past Role: Crumpler was one of the best tight ends in the league for the first half of the decade. He was one of the best receiving tight ends and one of the best blockers during his time with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2008, he was picked up by the Tennessee Titans in order to help groom the young tight ends on the Titans (Bo Scaife and Jared Cook) and was integral in lead blocking for Chris Johnson's monster season.
Predicted Role: Just like how he helped Johnson, look for Crumpler to help the Patriots anemic running game. He will have a similar impact in 2010 that he had in 2009 with the Titans. He'll be a great blocker and a great teacher for Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. He'll be the #3 receiving tight end in order to give more reps to Gronk and A Hern as receivers. He'll be the #2 in line blocker ahead of A Hern.
Predicted Season Numbers: 2 Games Started, 16 Games Played, 10 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD
Predicted Depth Chart: #2 Blocking TE, #3 Receiving TE
Summary: Crumpler will be an excellent leader for our young tight ends. He's still able to step up and perform if called upon, but hopefully the young tight ends will learn their roles and play well. Crumpler will also make frequent appearances in the red zone in 3 TE sets that the offense should be using more frequently.