PatsFans.com Article

Patriots Need The "Threat Factor"
By: Christine Roy

One priority for the Patriots this offseason should be finding a receiver who can receive the ball from anywhere on the field. ...

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DonBlackmon55

So, what exactly does this article tell us that 99.9% of the folks on this board do not already know ?

"The Patriots do not need a number one receiver. Their offense is more dynamic than most with their incorporation of the tight end position. I also have no doubt that Wes Welker will be back on the team, so their slot option is set. What they need the third piece, the piece that opens up the field. By opening up the field, the running game improves and Tom Brady has more options to work with."

If it was this easy to plug and chug and "open up the field", Pats would not be drafting or signing plethora of FA WR's every year. It sounds so easy on paper doesn't it, just like playing Madden on PS3 !

Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a blue moon, exception ofcourse Patrtiots & WR's. Either they "dumb" the system down so that WR's do not have to read and be on the same page as Brady read, else the turnstyle philosophy continues trying to find the right fit every year whether it was Doug Gabriel, or Stinko.

jukes

gronk and hernandez are threats

supafly

Yes, you are right...but we obviously need a threat that can open up the underneath and middle routes, where these two guys (and Welker) excel.

There can't be a defense out there that is too worried about any of the 3 actually running more than 20-25 yds down the field, and that is the problem.

I agree entirely with Don Blackmon, and also the author of the article (she's pretty hot IMO, by the way ) who state that we don't necessarily need that elusive "#1" WR that so many posters seem to think (hence all of the fantasy Mike Wallace talk). We simply need a guy who can beat man coverage like Branch couldn't. We need a guy that the secondary is going to respect, a guy that can run all of the route tree AND tend to stretch the field out a little more.

I am confident that we get that guy this yr, and I can't help but think that BB really would be interested in Wayne if he is available.

One of either Wayne, Lloyd, or Colston (a lot more expensive and possibly not even on the market by March 13) would be perfect in my opinion. There are also some others like Meachem on that list that would be a lot more effective than Branch was this yr. I still like Branch on the team, just not as high on the depth chart.

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Patiently waiting to defend the next "bubble" player in this summer's training camp.....

patsfan-1982

a running game that can eat up the clock and a defense that can get a stop with the lead thats #1 on my list. do the pats need a Deep Threat sure but when you pass for the 2th most yards in NFL history i realy dont see the passing game as a big problem but thats just my Opinion

Daigle

Thats my point too. Better run game will open the field enough. Better O-line will be better investment for us.

Daigle

We still have money that could be better spent though, like Ochos money and we have Branch.

Bringing in Loyd and resigning Branch a bit lower and cutting Ocho might be enough and we get better value out of that.