FOXBORO — When it came to the Patriots’ passing game last year, the tight ends were there mostly just for show.

Whether they were unable to generate any separation, weren’t utilized effectively by quarterback Tom Brady or spent most of their time blocking instead of catching passes, the combination of Benjamin Watson and Chris Baker provided little support as pass catchers. After opening the season with a six-catch, 77-yard effort against the Bills that included a pair of touchdowns, Watson had a total of 23 catches over the final 15 games. Meanwhile, Baker had just 14 catches on the season.

That led to wholesale changes. Out went Watson and Baker and in came veteran free agent Alge Crumpler and rookies Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, three tight ends with impressive resumes. In his collegiate career (22 games) with Arizona, the 6-foot-6, 258-pound Gronkowski finished with 75 receptions, 1,197 receiving yards (15.9 yards per catch) and 16 touchdowns. (A back injury caused Gronkowski to miss the entire 2009 season, and he decided to jump into the 2010 draft.) The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Hernandez led the Gators in receptions last year with 68 catches for 850 yards and five touchdowns. In all, in his collegiate career, Hernandez had 111 catches for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.

And the sizable Crumpler, who is generously listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds, will be entering his 10th season as a pro this fall. The 32-year-old has done a little bit of everything over the course of his career in the NFL — in his younger days with the Falcons (2001-2007), he could offer impressive numbers as a pass-catcher, peaking in 2005 when he caught 65 passes for 877 yards and five touchdowns. The last two seasons, he’s transitioned into more of a blocker with the Titans, catching a combined 49 balls in two years with Tennessee but helping clear the way for running back Chris Johnson to top 2,000 yards last year.

“We’re a new room,” Crumpler said with a smile. “We’re all getting adjusted.”

Rotating the tight ends is nothing new for Bill Belichick — whoever gets the call to start the opener will be the 14th different tight end to start for the Patriots since Belichick took over in 2000. And while it remains to be seen if the latest chapter of “Extreme Makeover: Tight End Edition” is going to work, you can’t fault the Patriots for going after a guy like Crumpler. He is considered a consummate professional who can be counted on to provide leadership. Former Tennessee teammate Frank Wycheck described Crumpler as “a great professional, a stand-up guy win or lose” to ESPN when the Patriots signed him, and Belichick called him “very professional.”

For his part, Crumpler has a simple philosophy when it comes to succeeding in the NFL.

“I’ve been a pro for a long time,” he said. “For me, I just come in and work every single day and everything takes care of itself. If you listen to the head man, I think everything will work out.”

The North Carolina product had the chance to acclimate himself to New England this spring, having signed with the Patriots on March 24. He used the time to study up on the franchise so he wouldn’t be shocked by much when training camp rolled around.

“I really wasn’t worried about a transition,” he said. “I’ve been here for a good bit of the offseason and had a chance to get in and learn things and meet the guys and get an understanding to find out what’s expected of us. It’s been good.”
 
While he did have the chance to ease into his experience with New England, Crumpler said he still isn’t sure why the Patriots were unable to get the ball to the tight ends in 2009, but added there’s plenty of time to think about that down the road.

“Right now, we can’t even worry about that. What we’ve got to do is continue to rep and continue to mesh and continue to get better,” Crumpler said. “This is what this time of the year is for — to get the kinks out and make things go so that we can get through the season and be very effective in our offense.”

Through the first week of training camp, it appears that the Patriots are doing just that with their new tight ends, trying to mix and match and figure out which combinations work. So far, it looks like Crumpler is being used more as a blocker, while Hernandez is a pass catching threat and Gronkowski is a bit of a combination.

It’s been a good start for Crumpler, who believes that better days are in store for the tight end spot in 2010.

“I get the sense that we’ll have more balance and we’ll be able to do things effectively in this offense,” he said.

It remains to be seen if Crumpler’s prediction will come true, but he believes that if they just put their trust in Brady, then everything will be all right.

“Just listen. Communicate and listen. That’s the biggest thing,” Crumpler said when asked what it takes for a tight end to succeed in the New England passing game. “Ultimately, the quarterback always knows where he wants to throw the ball, so it’s our job to get there.”