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Rumor: Former Notre Dame football tight end Kyle Rudolph could be headed to Patriots

By Ben Belden

FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 02: Patrick Chung #23 of the New England Patriots attempts to break up a pass to Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Gillette Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - DECEMBER 02: Patrick Chung #23 of the New England Patriots attempts to break up a pass to Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Gillette Stadium on December 2, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame football alumnus Kyle Rudolph has been one of the best NFL tight ends. He may be finding a new home in New England soon.

Kyle Rudolph is just one example of Notre Dame football’s monopolization of tight ends. Rudolph battled injuries in college, but he still caught 90 balls for 1032 yards and 8 touchdowns in 3 seasons in South Bend. His efforts were enough to get him draft 43rd overall by the Vikings in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Since then, the former Cincinnati Elder standout has had a tremendous NFL career, making it to two Pro Bowls and being one of the most consistent players in Minnesota’s offense.

But even though Rudolph has carved out quite the career in Minnesota, he may be on the move to a new team this summer: The New England Patriots.

The Super Bowl Champs are looking to replace a void left by the retirement of potential first-ballot Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski. Rudolph may be the best best to fill that void.

As an unbiased observer and non-fan of both of these teams, I absolutely hope this happens. Rudolph is a great tight end and the Patriots are known to use multiple tight end schemes. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski formed one of the best one-two punches in the NFL. As a Notre Dame fan, it would be fun to see Rudolph utilized in New England’s offense. In addition, Rudolph’s personality is one that would fit in with the Patriots’ culture.

Notoriously, New England Patriots players fit well within a team-oriented structure: They swallow their pride and they check their egos at the door. Rudolph has always been the type of player who has been willing to do those types of things, so this seems like a no-brainer from a personality standpoint.

Finally, another reason why this would be a good fit for Rudolph is that the Patriots have been a place where older players can go to elongate their careers, mostly due to New England’s attitude toward rest and recovery and how that relates to practice.

Next. Notre Dame's Nixon will compete against world's best players this summer. dark

In short, whether or not you like the Patriots, if you’re a fan of Notre Dame, it’s hard not to feel good for an Irish alumnus who might be able to prolong his career and compete for a few championships in the process.

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