The New England Patriots are coming off a season filled with drama and rumors that received significant media attention, and the team hopes that hiring Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will aid in improving the center of that negative attention: the offense. 

Third year tight end Hunter Henry isn't letting 2022 struggles trickle into this off-season, "I think every year is a new year in this league. It doesn’t matter what you did last year, whether it was really successful or it was a failure. Every year is a new start. Every year is a new opportunity. This is a new team. You got new guys, new pieces. So we got to come together now and this is the time to kind of build that camaraderie, that trust, that work ethic, everything that’s going to carry over to the season.”

Henry wasn't immune from the struggles the entire team faced in 2022. He was coming off one of the better seasons of his career in 2021, which saw him catch 50 passes for 603 yards and nine touchdowns. His numbers were down across the board this past season, reeling in 41 catches for 509 yards and two touchdowns. 

Henry is finding positivity in last year's struggles though, “I think there was a lot to learn from last year. So, I think it left a taste probably in my mouth a little bit that I didn’t like and just wanted to have something to prove.” Henry and the team are locked in on this season, "We’re working every single day to try to be the best that we can be so we’ll be ready by Week 1.”

Henry discussed his early impressions of new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, “He has a lot of experience in this. I think that especially in the tight-end position, it’s helped. He’s been around a lot of very successful tight ends and I think for me personally, just the way he sees things, the way he communicates things at the tight end has helped a lot. I think will help improve my game, hopefully. And I just try to listen to him. Soak up as much as I can and translate that out here and practice and work on things and try to get better. So it’s fun to be around a guy like that.”

Henry has good reason to be excited about the O'Brien addition. At the very least, he brings offensive acumen and stability. At best, he helps form a formidable offense that has shades of the historical 2011 New England Patriots that relied heavily on utilizing 12 personnel to maximize their two tight ends(Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski). When asked about what it's been like to work with O'Brien, Henry said, “It’s been great man. Excited being in the meeting room with him, just breaking things down. Energy he brings on the field. He’s very consistent so far. So excited to just continue to build that trust as a unit.”

The Patriots are heading into a crucial season following a challenging year for the franchise. The team struggled with one of the least competent offenses in recent memory. Their third-year QB, Mac Jones, appeared to regress, making it imperative to get him (and the entire team) back on the right path. In response to this, they brought in O'Brien, aiming to address these issues. The early signs are promising, indicating a potential turnaround for the team.

Featured image via Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports