Hunter Henry was surprised Patriots wanted him after signing Jonnu Smith

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Plenty of people expected the Patriots to go after the top tight ends on the free agent market, but few predicted that they’d sign the two guys at the top of most lists.

Hunter Henry is one of those tight ends and he puts himself in the group that was surprised when the Patriots continued to pursue him after landing an agreement with Jonnu Smith. Henry told reporters on Monday that he didn’t expect to get that call, but is looking forward to seeing what happens when the two of them get on the field together.

“It just kind of happened,” Henry said, via Henry McKenna of USAToday.com. “I didn’t think this would happen. . . . We can complement each other in a cool way. Obviously, the Patriots have a lot of success with tight ends, and I’m just excited to hopefully add to that.”

After a dismal offensive season in 2020, Henry will have plenty of company when it comes to excitement about what the offseason moves will mean for the on-field results in New England next season.