2015 Patriots Player Preview Series: WR Aaron Dobson

2015 Patriots Player Preview Series: WR Aaron Dobson

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For the first time in two years Dobson is heading into camp healthy and all indications appear that he's ready to finally prove that his best years are still ahead.

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If he can stay healthy this year and take the next step, he'll be a very, very dangerous weapon to have in the fold. He has the ability to threaten deep and outside the numbers and would add a completely different dynamic to an already potent offense.

I am not holding my breath waiting for Dobson. Bring in Reggie Wayne!

I'm a big Dobson fan, really wanted him in the 2013 draft, and I'm glad we got him. BUT, this is really it for him. He needs to show a lot in camp just to stay on the team. Needs a full season to show he isn't just another injury prone receiver (Tate and Jackson come to mind). He also needs to be very productive as the #4 receiver and needs to gain Brady's trust. Otherwise it's cyonara to Dobson, maybe even before they break camp.

IF Lafell is ready for game one, it's Dobson, Boyce, Gibson and Tyms fighting for 2 spots. Edelman, Lafell, Amendola and Slater are all safe.

The knock on him coming out of college was small hands which would presumably explain his tendency for dropping catchable balls. Would love to see the kid prove me wrong but I'm not holding my breath.

scott99 said:

I'm a big Dobson fan, really wanted him in the 2013 draft, and I'm glad we got him. BUT, this is really it for him. He needs to show a lot in camp just to stay on the team. Needs a full season to show he isn't just another injury prone receiver (Tate and Jackson come to mind). He also needs to be very productive as the #4 receiver and needs to gain Brady's trust. Otherwise it's cyonara to Dobson, maybe even before they break camp.

IF Lafell is ready for game one, it's Dobson, Boyce, Gibson and Tyms fighting for 2 spots. Edelman, Lafell, Amendola and Slater are all safe.

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5 on the opening day roster is what I think as well. I wouldn't be shocked at all if it was your aforementioned 4+ Boyce. Sorry Dobson and Tyms and everyone here that pines for every tall WR, this is not how this team operates. Having 3-4 inches in height doesn't give you an advantage over hard work in NE.

I've seen it too many times. This is a 2 TE, FB driven offense with speedy receivers. Lafell is the lone tall possesion WR. There's no room for 2.

Bill has apparently changed his modus operandi when evaluating receivers. With the new rules, height and size is given an extra boost in the ability to play. Look at the no name tall Seahawk receiver that just kept abusing Arrington despite Arrington's tight but diminutive coverage in the Super Bowl. That experience eventually cost him his job.

Now all our receivers have good size and eight. The shortest is Edelman at 5-10, but he is 200#s, so he is a fireplug and hardly a smurf.

Lafell 6-3, Dobson 6-3, Tyms 6-3, Gronk 6-6, Chandler 6-7, Hoomanawanui 6-4, Amendola 6-0, Edelman 5-10, Gibson 6-0, Boyce 5-11. Contrast that with our receiver corps of only a few years ago.

The same applies to the secondary players too. It used to be full of guys listed as 5-8, 5-9, or 5-10, but who were really 5-7, 5-8 or barely 5-9. No more. Only a tail-end slot CB candidate is shorter than 5-10 and that is McClain, who may not make the roster. Devin McCourty is listed at 5-10 but he is just shorter than 5-11.

Love me some Dobson plays but last season was critical for him, and that unfortunate injury could have cost him his pats career IMO.

Nunchucks said:

I am not holding my breath waiting for Dobson. Bring in Reggie Wayne!

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Aaron Dobson had the most receiving yards of ANY rookie WR in the BB era. I repeat more than ANY rookie WR in over 16 years. That's despite missing more than a quarter of the season with injuries. In other words he had an excellent rookie year for a Pats WR. We should remember this.

Last season clearly was a disaster for him, injury wise. Maybe it was a good thing because rumors about his focus and work ethic surfaced last season, so he knows he is fighting for a roster spot this year and should be very focused. Even if those rumors were false, as they often are, we should expect more from Dobson this TC. Hopefully it will be a healthy one.

Like most I see this being a very productive WR corps this season. Edelman, Lafell, Amendola, are locks, so as scot pointed out, there are only 2 spots open (baring injuries to the top 3) for Dobson, Gibson, Boyce, Tyms, and any other FA'[s the Pats bring in at the position, to compete for a roster spot. In my personal opinion there is a lot to like about the top 4 of those guys, so whoever survives that intense competition should wind up being excellent back ups to the top 3.

I don't see the Pats going with more the 5 true WR's plus what they can do in special teams. IIRC, Edelman, Amendola, and Tyms all excelled on ST's last season. I don't know what ST skills the rest have, but I think it will be a factor in which WR's BB finally keeps.

As for Reggie Wayne, I really respect what he's accomplished over the years. But the only scenario I can see him playing as a Patriot, is as an injury replacement during the season. Reggie Wayne was once an elite receiver with exceptional skills, but he isn't one now. The sad fact is that you don't have to slip much to move from someone who is elite, to someone who is redundant. I don't doubt Wayne can still play WR at an NFL level for some one, but here he'd be redundant. If he wants to play another year, he'd be better off going back to the Colts and be a mentor to their WR corps and play for the vet minimum plus incentives

Give me Dobson and Gibson to round out the WR corps after the top 3. Dobson has shown some playmaking ability and Gibson was rounding into a nice WR before his ACL tear 2 years ago. Neither will likely play much but i like their potential better than what we see from Boyce and Tyms.

Dobson was having a fine 2013 rookie season until he hurt his foot during the CAR game.

In the 2014 offseason not being able to work out, get stronger and get into a pass-catching rhythm with TB12 and earning his trust absolutely killed him. I'm speculating but maybe some doubt and frustration starting to creep in and that hurt him big-time last year.

I believe in his talent. I am skeptical of everything else. He needs to cowboy up and prove that he can be a productive player in this offense.

I am cautiously optimistic that if healthy, he can put up 2013 numbers but have a better catch % in 2015.

PatsFans.com Article said:

2015 Patriots Player Preview Series: WR Aaron Dobson

Ian Logue

For the first time in two years Dobson is heading into camp healthy and all indications appear that he's ready to finally prove that his best years are still ahead.

Continue reading...

Click to expand...

If all are healthy, we a solid set of 5 receivers for any game (plus a RB)
Edelman, LaFell, Amendola/Dobson, Gronkowski, Chandler

I'm not sure that any more than this will make the 53, other than a blocking TE or two (Hooman and Develin).

I suppose a 5th WR might make the 53 as insurance.

strngplyr said:

Give me Dobson and Gibson to round out the WR corps after the top 3. Dobson has shown some playmaking ability and Gibson was rounding into a nice WR before his ACL tear 2 years ago. Neither will likely play much but i like their potential better than what we see from Boyce and Tyms.

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I think all four are pretty much a toss-up. Most of them are damaged goods in some way. It's a question whether Gibson comes back from the ACL with full effectiveness, gonna have to wait and see. Similar question for Dobson, he is supposedly healthy but does that mean he is as good as ever? Boyce has had his injury problems.

Personally I'd love to see Tyms have a break-out season, he's got the back story to merit sympathy and support. Also like his ST play.

patfanken said:

Aaron Dobson had the most receiving yards of ANY rookie WR in the BB era. I repeat more than ANY rookie WR in over 16 years. That's despite missing more than a quarter of the season with injuries. In other words he had an excellent rookie year for a Pats WR. We should remember this.

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No....

What he had was a rookie season that has been incredibly overhyped by some people. He had the numbers because there were no alternatives. The same was true of another Patriots rookie WR that season, by the name of Kenbrell Thompkins.

We should hope for something out of him this year, but we shouldn't be pretending his rookie year was anything remotely impressive, because it wasn't.

I think this is his last year to show us what he's made up. He gets hurt again or what not. He's done here IMO

AzPatsFan said:

Bill has apparently changed his modus operandi when evaluating receivers. With the new rules, height and size is given an extra boost in the ability to play. Look at the no name tall Seahawk receiver that just kept abusing Arrington despite Arrington's tight but diminutive coverage in the Super Bowl. That experience eventually cost him his job.

Now all our receivers have good size and eight. The shortest is Edelman at 5-10, but he is 200#s, so he is a fireplug and hardly a smurf.

Lafell 6-3, Dobson 6-3, Tyms 6-3, Gronk 6-6, Chandler 6-7, Hoomanawanui 6-4, Amendola 6-0, Edelman 5-10, Gibson 6-0, Boyce 5-11. Contrast that with our receiver corps of only a few years ago.

The same applies to the secondary players too. It used to be full of guys listed as 5-8, 5-9, or 5-10, but who were really 5-7, 5-8 or barely 5-9. No more. Only a tail-end slot CB candidate is shorter than 5-10 and that is McClain, who may not make the roster. Devin McCourty is listed at 5-10 but he is just shorter than 5-11.

Click to expand...

Yes this seems I be true. They have definitely moved toward bigger, more physical pass catchers that can block and get open. Dobson's problem, however, is he cannot seem to catch the ball with any consistency which is the kiss of death IMHO. Hopefully he can prove me wrong this year but I'm not counting on it.