Wide Receiver

[jmt57]

A quick look at who is in training camp at the WR position.

• #81 Randy Moss 6-4, 210, age 33, 13th year; 1st round (#21, Vikings) '98; acquired in exchange for 4th round '07 draft pick (John Bowie) in '07
• #83 Wes Welker 5-9, 185, age 29, 7th year; UDFA (Chargers) '04; acquired in exchange for 2nd round (Samson Satele) and 7th round (Abraham Wright) '07 draft picks
• #11 Julian Edelman 6-0, 198, age 24, 2nd year; 7th round (#232) '09
• #19 Brandon Tate 6-0, 210, age 23, 2nd year; 3rd round (#83) '09
• #17 Taylor Price 6-0, 205, age 23, rookie; 3rd round (#90) '10
• #84 Torry Holt 6-0, 190, age 34, 12th year; 1st round (#6, Rams) '99; FA (Jaguars) '10
• #88 Sam Aiken 6-2, 220, age 30, 8th year; 4th round (#127, Bills) '03; FA (Bills) '08
• #18 Matthew Slater 6-0, 198, age 25, 3rd year; 5th round (#153) '08
• #86 David Patten 5-10, 190, age 36, 13th year; UDFA (Giants) '07; FA (Browns) '10
• #10 Darnell Jenkins 5-10, 191, age 28, 1st year; UDFA (Texans) '08; FA (Bucs) '10
• #13 Buddy Farnham 6-0, 185, age 23, rookie; UDFA '10

 

[jmt57]

Bruce Allen of Patriots Daily reviews the position, with a nice individual synopsis of every receiver on the roster.

Postional Previews – Wide Receivers | Patriots Daily


On the offensive side of the ball, this position might be the most unpredictable. There is talent here, no question about it, but health (of the older receivers) and inexperience (of the younger receivers) make this position a tough one to gauge at this point. Offseason additions include veterans Torry Holt and old friend David Patten, and rookie Taylor Price. Going into camp, the Patriots have 13 receivers listed on the roster, though two of them are on the Reserve/Military list.

...

Summary
If Moss and Welker can be healthy, they’re still the best 1-2 receiving combo in the league. Edelman and Holt figure to be big contributors as well, with Tate and Price learning the position and contributing here and there. This has the potential to be a very strong positional group on the roster, but like many others, there are a number of “ifs” and unknowns in play here. Having Welker to start the season would be huge.

 

[Garbanza]

A quick look at who is in training camp at the WR position.

• #81 Randy Moss 6-4, 210, age 33, 13th year; 1st round (#21, Vikings) '98; acquired in exchange for 4th round '07 draft pick (John Bowie) in '07
• #83 Wes Welker 5-9, 185, age 29, 7th year; UDFA (Chargers) '04; acquired in exchange for 2nd round (Samson Satele) and 7th round (Abraham Wright) '07 draft picks
• #11 Julian Edelman 6-0, 198, age 24, 2nd year; 7th round (#232) '09
• #19 Brandon Tate 6-0, 210, age 23, 2nd year; 3rd round (#83) '09
• #17 Taylor Price 6-0, 205, age 23, rookie; 3rd round (#90) '10
• #84 Torry Holt 6-0, 190, age 34, 12th year; 1st round (#6, Rams) '99; FA (Jaguars) '10
• #88 Sam Aiken 6-2, 220, age 30, 8th year; 4th round (#127, Bills) '03; FA (Bills) '08
• #18 Matthew Slater 6-0, 198, age 25, 3rd year; 5th round (#153) '08
• #86 David Patten 5-10, 190, age 36, 13th year; UDFA (Giants) '07; FA (Browns) '10
• #10 Darnell Jenkins 5-10, 191, age 28, 1st year; UDFA (Texans) '08; FA (Bucs) '10
• #13 Buddy Farnham 6-0, 185, age 23, rookie; UDFA '10

Interesting competition here. Will they keep more than five? Will Aiken stick because of his ST play? Will Troy Holt make the cut? Keep both Tate and Price? This position will be fun to watch. Will they keep six receivers? Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, Price, Holt? On the outside looking in: Aiken. Adios: Patten, Jenkins, Slater, Farnham.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Interesting competition here. Will they keep more than five? Will Aiken stick because of his ST play? Will Troy Holt make the cut? Keep both Tate and Price? This position will be fun to watch. Will they keep six receivers? Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, Price, Holt? On the outside looking in: Aiken. Adios: Patten, Jenkins, Slater, Farnham.

I'd be shocked, SHOCKED!, if they didn't keep both Price and Tate. Breer on 98.5 after practice seemed impressed with Price.

 

[jmt57]

Tedy Bruschi seems to be of the opinion that Randy Moss being in a contract year is a good thing for the Pats.

Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss break down the New England Patriots heading into training camp - ESPN Boston


This could be a best-case scenario with the wide receivers when it comes to Randy Moss. He said this very well could be his last year with the New England Patriots, and he's talked about how he wants to play longer. He knows if he wants to get another contract, he has to play well. That's good for Randy Moss and it's good for the New England Patriots. I'd look for Julian Edelman to make progress on what he did last year, in that Welker role when Welker isn't there. The more reps he gets at it, the stronger the depth will be. I view Brandon Tate as a wild card. He's a guy everyone is excited to see, to see what he can do on the field with an entire offseason under his belt. Can he be someone Brady can count on? That's something to look for.

 

[jmt57]

Interesting competition here. Will they keep more than five? Will Aiken stick because of his ST play? Will Troy Holt make the cut? Keep both Tate and Price? This position will be fun to watch. Will they keep six receivers? Moss, Welker, Edelman, Tate, Price, Holt? On the outside looking in: Aiken. Adios: Patten, Jenkins, Slater, Farnham.

Should the Pats elect to start Welker on PUP, it could give them an opportunity to take a longer look at someone and delay their decision for the final WR roster spot for a few more weeks too.

 

[jmt57]

Many of the observations of the first day of training camp by Marima of Pats Pulpit were in regards to the wide receivers.

http://www.patspulpit.com/2010/7/29/1594493/training-camp-day-1-view-from-the


David Patten looked surprisingly good. He looked light on his feet, ran his routes fast, and just moved everywhere quickly. Torry Holt looked good but didn’t stand out to me in any special way.

Randy Moss was catching everything thrown to him, which was unfortunate for James Sanders trying to cover the guy and win a roster spot at the same time. I could watch Brady-to-Moss all day.

Brandon Tate was all over the place, running hard and making good catches. He dropped one biggie that would have been a touchdown. – Matthew Slater dropped three that I saw.

 

[jmt57]

Mike Reiss answered some questions about Wide Receivers today.

Chat: Chat with Mike Reiss - SportsNation - ESPN Boston


Q. Hi Mike, can you talk a little about the difference between Torry Holt and Joey Galloway, as relates to how he might fit on this team? I recall that last year, you were high on Galloway heading into camp to fill the role of veteran WR.
A. Galloway seemed like a one-trick pony, whereas Holt looks like more of a technician to me. But I did think it was interesting that when the top two receivers were on the field today, it was Randy Moss opposite Brandon Tate.

Q. What's Patten's chances of making the team? I always liked him, great hands.
A. I see him on the outside looking in, but he's the type of player who helps a team simply by his presence. The younger receivers can learn a lot from watching and listening to Patten.

Q. Were you able to see how the offense looked today in terms of the line, WRs & TEs, and RBs? I guess just wondering about the overall look and if some of the question marks have answers.
A. The top group I saw was LT Light; LG Kaczur; C Koppen; RG Neal; RT Vollmer; TE Crumpler; TE Gronkowski/Hernandez; WR Moss; WR Tate; RB Maroney; QB Brady.

Q. Do you think Brandon Tate is fully recovered from his various injuries and ready to make a major impact catching the football and especially on special teams?
A. Tate has a great chance in this camp. He is fully healthy. It's been one practice and I'd like to see more of him to better answer the question.

Q. So how has Edelman looked going into his second year? Has he been getting most of the slot wr snaps?
A. Looks very comfortable to me. Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio previously said that Edelman was one of the team's offseason award winners. That speaks to the quality of his offseason work.

 

[jmt57]

Richard Hill of Pats Pulpit profiles Brandon Tate

Patriots Roster Prediction #47: WR Brandon Tate - Pats Pulpit

Predicted Role: Tom Brady has said that Tate is having a great off-season - but whether that's true or Brady is building up his teammate's confidence (or possibly both) will be seen once the team starts having contact in the practices. Tate should emerge as the team's leading kick returner - causing the release of Matthew Slater. Tate should also shine as part of the #3 WR rotation with Torry Holt and Taylor Price. All three receivers should be a big part of the offense, with Tate leading the way early in the season.

Summary: Tate will prove why he was a 3rd round draft pick. He's had plenty of time to recover from his injury and should provide a spark for the offense and the return game. He'll allow the team to release Matthew Slater and, possibly, Terrence Wheatley. Look for Tate to be the new, albeit much larger, Deion Branch for the offense - nothing Earth shattering, but extremely productive.

Interestingly Hill also projects Tate to begin the season as the #3 WR - but finish the year as the #4 WR.

 

[Sciz]

Patten will make it, Holt will not. Calling it now

Moss, Welker, Tate, Edelman, Price, Aiken, Patten

 

[BradyFTW!]

Patten will make it, Holt will not. Calling it now

Moss, Welker, Tate, Edelman, Price, Aiken, Patten

I was just wondering the exact same thing, and as far as bold predictions go, I think I'll co-sign on that. Jumping the gun? Absolutely, but I don't think a spot for Holt is guaranteed by a long shot.

 

[jmt57]

Pats Pulpit's Richard Hill predicts Sam Aiken retains a roster spot as the team's #7 WR.

Patriots Roster Prediction #39: WR Sam Aiken - Pats Pulpit

Past Role: Aiken has been a Special Teams Captain and is a leader on the 3rd facet of an NFL team. He is a great tackler on special teams, while also providing solid blocking. While his job is primarily on special teams, which should earn him a roster spot, Aiken can play wide receiver in a pinch. A really, really large pinch.

Predicted Role: With the addition of Taylor Price, Torry Holt and a healthy Brandon Tate, look for Aiken to shift back down the depth chart. He shouldn't be on the field very often, if at other, other than on special teams. He'll continue to be a special teams captain and ace.

Summary: Aiken will slide back down the receiver chart, but should stick around as a special teams captain.

 

[sbpatfan]

Why is everyone in love with Aiken? He's a 29 year old special teamer, he's easily replaceable. Aiken already hit his ceiling and he's floating back down now. Slater is the same guy but younger.

Moss
Welker
Tate
Holt
Edelman
Price

 

[jmt57]

Why is everyone in love with Aiken? He's a 29 year old special teamer, he's easily replaceable. Aiken already hit his ceiling and he's floating back down now. Slater is the same guy but younger.

Moss
Welker
Tate
Holt
Edelman
Price

I agree. With so many rookies, second and third year players available with more upside at their actual positions, there is more of a reason to let players like Aiken and Alexander go. I'm not saying special teams play should not be a consideration - a player like Arrington is probably worth keeping, for example - but when you consider the number of players that can take the place of an Aiken or Alexander, that also have potential (McKenzie, Spikes, Cunningham, McCourty, Gronkowski, Hernandez, etc.), it's easy to foresee a player like Aiken not making the roster.

 

[jmt57]

Pats Pulpit also profiles Taylor Price, predicting he will start the season as the Pats #5 WR, but will move up to the team's #3 WR by the end of the year.

Patriots Roster Prediction #34: WR Taylor Price - Pats Pulpit

Predicted Role: Price should open the season as the #5 WR, if Welker doesn't suit up, without much pressure on his shoulders. Torry Holt and Brandon Tate should both rank above Price at the opening of the season, but Price should quickly rise up the charts as he gains NFL experience. He'll be a tough receiver who can catch anything thrown in his direction. Around the midpoint of the season, Price should pass both Holt and Tate as a pure receiver and should flourish with Tom Brady at quarterback.

Predicted Season Numbers: 7 Games Started, 16 Games Played, 45 Receptions, 600 Yards, 6 TDs

Summary: Price is a great prospect and should quickly move up the Patriots receiver depth chart. Look for Price in the middle of the field making the big catch to move the chains, but also expect him in the end zone a few times. He'll benefit from the experience of Holt and Randy Moss and should catch on to the professional game quickly. Price is a high character guy who should fit in well with the offense.

45 receptions for 600 yards and 6 touchdowns? Maybe in 2011, but those number seem to be a bit unrealistically high for Price's rookie season.

 

[patchick]

Why is everyone in love with Aiken? He's a 29 year old special teamer, he's easily replaceable. Aiken already hit his ceiling and he's floating back down now.

Especially given the presence of Hernandez as a semi-receiver, this does seem a likely year to give that roster spot to another position.

 

[mgteich]

I think calling Aiken a wide receiver give us a misleading impression of his potential to make the team.

Look at the end of the year roster. How many players did we have that played special teams almost exclusively? Slater, Lockett, Arrington and Alexander come to mind. Did any of them log 10 plays during the whole year as a defensive or offensive player?

I agree that Aiken will not make the team this year as a wide receiver. However, he should make the team as one one of two players who will play only special teams.

Especially given the presence of Hernandez as a semi-receiver, this does seem a likely year to give that roster spot to another position.

 

[patchick]

I think calling Aiken a wide receiver give us a misleading impression of his potential to make the team.

Look at the end of the year roster. How many players did we have that played special teams almost exclusively? Slater, Lockett, Arrington and Alexander come to mind. Did any of them log 10 plays during the whole year as a defensive or offensive player?

I agree that Aiken will not make the team this year as a wide receiver. However, he should make the team as one one of two players who will play only special teams.

I think we all understand that Aiken is ST first and foremost. But that doesn't mean that his nominal position is totally irrelevant -- he did have 20 catches last year, after all. And this year I'd rather add an emergency DB than an emergency WR.

What's more, when I said "give the roster spot to another position," I partly meant "another position rather than ST specialist." I think the addition of a guy like McCourty, an ST standout who will make the roster on merit as a defender, helps make that possible. And I'd take Arrington and Slater over Aiken as my ultra-short ST list.

 

[mgteich]

Last year, Aiken was not an emergency receiver. He was our #3 receiver.

I agree with regard that Arrington will get a ST roster spot.

My number two is WR Aiken who I have instead of your choice: wide receiver Slater.

I think we all understand that Aiken is ST first and foremost. But that doesn't mean that his nominal position is totally irrelevant -- he did have 20 catches last year, after all. And this year I'd rather add an emergency DB than an emergency WR.

What's more, when I said "give the roster spot to another position," I partly meant "another position rather than ST specialist." I think the addition of a guy like McCourty, an ST standout who will make the roster on merit as a defender, helps make that possible. And I'd take Arrington and Slater over Aiken as my ultra-short ST list.

 

[jmt57]

Last year, Aiken was not an emergency receiver. He was our #3 receiver.

I think that is over simplifying Aiken's role at WR a bit.

When the Pats were at this same point a year ago, Aiken was behind Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis, Tate and Edelman. Aiken did indeed make seven starts - but it was due to just that, emergencies. Those emergencies were the combination of the inabilities of Lewis and Galloway, and the injuries to Welker, Edelman and Tate.

The reason he started (i.e., was the #3 receiver) was because of emergencies.


Saying Aiken was the #3 WR would be like saying after the end of the 2008 season that Matt Cassel was the #1 QB based on his stats and number of starts in that previous year. Cassel was not the #1 QB; he was the emergency (backup) QB. Same situation for Aiken.