Patriots Offseason: Wide Receiver Wide Open

All we know for sure about the Patriots wide receiver corps this offseason is that Julian Edelman will be back. After him who knows, but it’s reassuring to know the guy who keeps the chains moving on key third downs will return. The rest is mostly window dressing.

Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarelle Patterson, if you even want to call him a wide receiver, are all hitting free agency, so the pieces of Brady’s offense will be shifting a bit once again.

Third Down Offense Table
	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Player	Tgt ▼	Rec	Ctch%	Yds	TD	1D
James White	40	27	67.5%	202	3	18
Julian Edelman	36	22	61.1%	278	4	18
Rob Gronkowski	29	15	51.7%	236	2	13
Josh Gordon	18	8	44.4%	152	0	7
Chris Hogan	16	7	43.8%	91	1	5
Phillip Dorsett	14	8	57.1%	88	2	5
Cordarrelle Patterson	9	6	66.7%	78	2	3
Rex Burkhead	2	1	50.0%	5	0	0
Totals	168	95	56.5%	1136	14	69

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/25/2019.

Hogan and Dorsett were largely single-factor equations in the Super Bowl run. Both had a key catch or two but the offense didn’t truly depend on either. Hogan seemed to regress this season and as we’ve seen with others at that position like Brandon Lloyd and Brandon LaFell, the Pats have no problems rotating new guys in.

I’m sure Hogan would be affordable so you can never rule out a return, and the same goes for Dorsett. I’ve never been a big Dorsett fan. Again, he makes a play now and then but his disappearance after Josh Gordon arrived tells you all you need to know.

Gordon was the rare player who immediately assimilate and earn Brady’s trust. The Patriots can retain his rights while he gets healthy, but we obviously can’t really count on him being that guy he was for 11 games.

Josh Gordon Patriots Regular Season Table
						Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece	Rece
Rk	Date	G#		Opp	Result	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD
2	2018-09-30	4		MIA	W 38-7	2	2	32	16.00	0
3	2018-10-04	5		IND	W 38-24	4	2	50	25.00	1
4	2018-10-14	6		KAN	W 43-40	9	5	42	8.40	0
5	2018-10-21	7	@	CHI	W 38-31	7	4	100	25.00	0
6	2018-10-29	8	@	BUF	W 25-6	6	4	42	10.50	0
7	2018-11-04	9		GNB	W 31-17	9	5	130	26.00	1
8	2018-11-11	10	@	TEN	L 10-34	12	4	81	20.25	0
9	2018-11-25	11	@	NYJ	W 27-13	5	5	70	14.00	0
10	2018-12-02	12		MIN	W 24-10	3	3	58	19.33	1
11	2018-12-09	13	@	MIA	L 33-34	9	5	96	19.20	0
12	2018-12-16	14	@	PIT	L 10-17	2	1	19	19.00	0

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/25/2019.

Patterson is as much a kickoff returner and running back as he is a receiver and he was perhaps the most valuable piece of this receiver group. His return skills might earn him a better payday outside New England.

Pipeline

Braxton Berrios looked the part in training camp last year but he battled injuries and never really seemed to be in the running for a roster spot. He’s the only one of the signed receivers who seems to be a roster wildcard for 2019.

Damoun Patterson and Darren Andrews spent time on the practice squad. Andrews spent the full season working behind the scenes while Patterson is a former Steeler who fits the tall, lean mold of many of their receivers.

Free Agency

You can never rule anything out with the level of need at the wide receiver position. Top free agents like Golden Tate, Adam Humphries and Donta Moncrief are all options who could fit into the system and compliment Brady and Edelman.

Perhaps just snagging Danny Amendola back after a one-year trip to Miami where he snagged over $8 million. Amendola would be on a long-term injury management plan, but he’s as good of Edelman insurance as you can get.

Draft

Pinning Patriots receiver picks is tough to do if they don’t remind you of Edelman like Berrios did last year. Drafted prospects like Malcolm Mitchell are sure-handed and precise route runners. Those kind of receivers have been making plays for Brady for almost 20 years.

Big, physical receivers like Buffalo’s Anthony Johnson could benefit from the Patriots potent ground attack and allow them to stray from the quick-open types.

A rookie who can get off NFL press coverage is rare, but Collin Johnson from Texas is one guy to take a closer look into as we get into draft research.