2011 Offseason Outlook - Wide Receiver

[mgteich]

I think that we should extend Welker.

In any case, Edelman has a long-term spot as a punt returner and backup slot receiver.

I expect us to bring in a 4th round or later draftee (Danerius Moore was my choice in a draft thread) and a mid-level free agent or two (as we do every year).

We'll see how Price and Tate do as they compete for reps. I do believe that we will have 56 roster spots. A kick retrurner or wide receiver is fine for us with one of those roster spots.

Future Focus: Wide receivers - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston



2010 number of times targeted with a pass:
123 - Welker
74 -- Branch
46 -- Tate
14 -- Edelman

 

[Deus Irae]

Every year, posters want us to keep ZERO special team specialists except kicker, punter and deep snapper. And every year, the posters are wrong.

MY POSTION
There is always room for 3 special-teams only players on a Belichick team. This year, we had Slater, White and Brown. They earned their keep a lot more than others at the bottom of the roster. If we can upgrade and fine special teamers, then great. I think it best to consider that these players are starters on special teams.

I wasn't talking about my wants. I was talking about possibilities for roster adjustments if the games are played with the same 53 and the team feels the need to add a receiver. Like it or not, when you've got limited slots, sometimes you have to give something up to bring someone in. When the team was carrying 5 running backs instead of 4, there was another position that was missing out on a potential player. That's just the reality of roster manipulation.

Also, Brown was not a special teams only player, which gives him more of the versatility that BB talks about so much.

 

[RayClay]

Every year, posters want us to keep ZERO special team specialists except kicker, punter and deep snapper. And every year, the posters are wrong.

MY POSTION
There is always room for 3 special-teams only players on a Belichick team. This year, we had Slater, White and Brown. They earned their keep a lot more than others at the bottom of the roster. If we can upgrade and fine special teamers, then great. I think it best to consider that these players are starters on special teams.

Brown can play some safety and we dumped Alexander, Woods and Aikens. Not saying they all needed to be, but we had people arguing for 3,4,5 essentially ST only players.

We have two now and that's an improvement.

I loled when we had all these indispensable special teams only players and Arrington comes in and out produces their season in half a season, then wins a damn starting job.

That's what I'm talking about. Complacency kills.

 

[jmt57]

It Is What It Is -- Patriots by position: Wide receiver -- Christopher Price

Receptions: Welker, 86; Branch, 48; Tate, 24; Moss, 9; Edelman, 7; Price, 3
Receiving Yards: Welker, 848; Branch, 706; Tate, 432; Moss, 139; Edelman, 86; Price, 41
Yards per Catch: Tate, 18.0; Moss, 15.4; Branch, 14.7; Price, 13.7; Edelman, 12.3; Welker, 9.9
Receiving Touchdowns: Welker, 7; Branch, 5; Tate, 3; Moss, 3

2010, in three sentences: Remade. The October trade of Randy Moss to Minnesota changed the look of the New England receiving corps — instead of the traditional deep threat, it was more reliant on midrange and intermediate routes. It was a success, as the Patriots’ passing game became one of the most difficult to defend over the second half of the season, thanks in large part to the duo of Branch and Welker.

Welker had more drops (13) than any receiver in the league in 2010. It’s the first time a Patriots’ receiver has led the NFL in dropped passes in the 16 seasons that they’ve tracked the stat. Welker dropped 13.1 percent of catchable balls this year (13 of 99) after dropping just 4.5 percent (20 of 442) over the first five seasons of his career. It was the fourth time in the last 16 seasons that a Patriots’ receiver has suffered 10+ drops. The others? Glad you asked: Vincent Brisby (12) in 1995; Terry Glenn (11) in 1996; Glenn (10) in 2000.

The skinny: Like the running back spot, the Patriots remade the wide receiver position on the fly during the season. While Welker worked his way back to full strength after a devastating knee injury at the end of the 2009 campaign, New England jettisoned Moss and reacquired Branch. Welker didn’t appear to miss a beat in his return — he caught the first touchdown pass of the season for the Patriots — and the Branch/Tom Brady reunion produced immediate dividends. However, Branch and Welker are signed for one more year, and the prospect of giving Welker an extension will likely be one of the bigger storylines of this offseason, provided a labor deal gets done sooner rather than later. In addition, the specter of a lack of a big play receiver — something that clearly hamstrung New England in its playoff loss to the Jets — is also a question for this team going forward. Meanwhile, the offseason will be a key one for young receivers like Tate and Edelman, both of whom had issues in 2010, but will almost certainly be asked to do more in 2011. And look for Price (who was active for just one game in 2010) to have more of a role next season.

 

[mgteich]

There is no need for a 5th safety as a position on this team. Do you disagree? I find that fact that Brown can play "some safety" irrelevant to his chances of making the team in 2010 or 2011.

Brown can play some safety and we dumped Alexander, Woods and Aikens. Not saying they all needed to be, but we had people arguing for 3,4,5 essentially ST only players.

We have two now and that's an improvement.

I loled when we had all these indispensable special teams only players and Arrington comes in and out produces their season in half a season, then wins a damn starting job.

That's what I'm talking about. Complacency kills.

 

[jmt57]

Position Snapshot: Wide Receiver | Patriots.com | 2/3/11 | Erik Scalavino

Essentially, it was a one-for-one swap. Randy Moss left, Deion Branch returned, both via trades.

But the impact of those transactions rippled throughout the wide receiver depth chart and the entire Patriots offense. New England’s point-scoring output and passing attack exploded following the departure of Moss and the arrival of Branch, who helped the Patriots emphasis their short, spread-it-out passing game.

It was a good year overall for Branch and Wes Welker, who made another Pro Bowl (this year as an alternate), but other receivers on the roster struggled. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Patriots targeted upgrades at this position in the NFL Draft in April and/or via free agency.

11 – Julian Edelman
A disappointing mid-season stretch saw Edelman drop several passes in key situations. He bounced back late in the year, thanks in large part to his success as a punt returner. He’s under contract through the ’12 season, and should continue to be a contributor on special teams, at the very least, as he works to complete the transition from college QB to pro wide receiver.

19 – Brandon Tate
Made a few plays through the air in what was essentially his rookie year (he missed all but two games in ’09 with knee problems), but was mostly noted for his kickoff return skills. Needs to improve overall to be a legitimate threat in the offense this coming season.

83 – Wes Welker
Shed his knee brace mid-season and never appeared to miss a beat as a result of his February knee surgery. His many drops were a concern, however, as the Pro Bowler failed to catch 100 or more passes for the first time as a Patriot. He enters the final year of his contract and has already stated he needs to do better if he’s going to be rewarded with a new deal.

Read more at: Position Snapshot: Wide Receiver

 

[jmt57]

Free-Agent Fit: Wide receiver - New England Patriots Blog - espnBoston - Mike Rodak

RATING THE NEED: Low

KEY CONSIDERATION: Welker enters the final year of his contract, making an extension a possible priority for the Patriots this summer. Branch turns 32 in July and has a lengthy injury history. Both players will surely remain in 2010, but does the team view Tate, Edelman, and Price as sufficient replacements in the future, or do they look for another target for quarterback Tom Brady?

NOTABLE TARGETS ON MARKET: Braylon Edwards (Jets), Vincent Jackson (Chargers), Sidney Rice (Vikings), Brad Smith (Jets), Steve Smith (Giants), Santonio Holmes (Jets), Santana Moss (Redskins), Terrell Owens (Bengals), Mike Sims-Walker (Jaguars), Randy Moss (Titans), James Jones (Packers), Lance Moore (Saints), Jacoby Jones (Texans)

MOST LIKELY TARGET FOR PATS: Brad Smith

SLEEPER POSSIBILITY FOR PATS: Donte’ Stallworth (Ravens)

OUTLANDISH THOUGHT FOR PATS: Moss, Owens

WRAP IT UP: Both Tate and Edelman have provided sparks on special teams, but neither has yet to make much of an impact on the offensive phase of the game. Still, look for the Patriots to make re-signing Welker the top priority before any free-agent addition.

Based on the discussion on this board over the last three weeks, there are obviously a few people here that will disagree with Rodak's opinion that the need to upgrade the WR position is low. Personally I'm not so much in disagreement with that point of view as I am with Brad Smith being the most likely target for the Pats; I would think Sidney Rice, Steve Smith or Lance Moore would be more likely targets.

 

[JackBauer]

Yeah, I'm not sure how much stock I'd put in the opinion of Mike Reiss's intern.

 

[Shelterdog]

Brown can play some safety and we dumped Alexander, Woods and Aikens. Not saying they all needed to be, but we had people arguing for 3,4,5 essentially ST only players.

We have two now and that's an improvement.

I loled when we had all these indispensable special teams only players and Arrington comes in and out produces their season in half a season, then wins a damn starting job.

That's what I'm talking about. Complacency kills.

We actually had four active guys who played primarily STs- White, Brown, Slater and Fletcher. Brown and Fletcher might turn into rotational defensive players but they weren't this year.

It's like that every year: there are 3-5 players active every game who are active just to play special teams, and they're on the team because they're good at special teams.

Woods, Aiken and Alexander were those guys and they got worse so they got cut.

 

[JackBauer]

We actually had four active guys who played primarily STs- White, Brown, Slater and Fletcher. Brown and Fletcher might turn into rotational defensive players but they weren't this year.

It's like that every year: there are 3-5 players active every game who are active just to play special teams, and they're on the team because they're good at special teams.

Woods, Aiken and Alexander were those guys and they got worse so they got cut.

Fletcher was a rotational defensive player last season.

 

[Shelterdog]

Fletcher was a rotational defensive player last season.

In five or six games (including the joke against Miami), yes, but he only played 165 snaps all year, including playoffs. He didn't play d in 6 games, and he had single digit snaps in 4 more.

EDIT: Just so it's clear, I think Fletcher is great and has a future on this club. But this year he was usually active for special teams and special teams only.

 

[jmt57]

Chad Ochocinco Would Bring Excitement to Patriots, But Donte Stallworth Is Best Free-Agent Fit in New England - NESN.com - Jeff Howe

The Patriots have a mix at wide receiver with veterans Wes Welker and Deion Branch leading a group of youngsters, including Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman and Taylor Price, but the thinking is the Patriots should make an upgrade at the third receiver position.

The best option, at least for the 2011 season, would be through free agency, because quarterback Tom Brady has typically enjoyed the majority of his success with veterans who understand how to beat defenses. And with a starting-caliber veteran, the Patriots would give Tate and Price an extra season to develop.

Sidney Rice garnered a decent amount of hype after the South Carolina product was taken in the second round of the 2007 draft, but he's been a disappointment in three of his four seasons. He had a tremendous season during Brett Favre's revitalization in 2009, when Rice caught 83 passes for 1,312 yards (15.8 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns, but his 2010 campaign was essentially washed out due to a serious hip injury. So, who is Rice? If he can capitalize in an offense with a great quarterback, he'll be worthy of a big paycheck this offseason, but if teams are worried that he'll continue to underachieve, his market will be restricted.

Diamond in the Rough
Mike Sims-Walker was a bigger prospect at Central Florida than Brandon Marshall, and Sims-Walker broke out with 63 receptions, 869 yards and seven touchdowns in 2009. The 6-foot-2, 197-pounder has the frame and talent to be a good outside receiver, but he's been buried in a Jacksonville offense that doesn't go down the field that much. Sims-Walker took a step back in 2010 with 43 receptions, 562 yards and seven touchdowns, so he won't command a big contract. But if a team with an upper-echelon quarterback came calling -- say, the Chargers -- Sims-Walker could make a huge jump.

Fit for New England
Donte Stallworth fits the profile of a successful third wide receiver for the Patriots. He has already played well for them -- despite falling off in the second half of the 2007 season -- and he could be had for cheap money. Stallworth wants to play for the Patriots, who could take a low-risk flier on him, and he's determined to get his career back on track. Stallworth has been victimized by injuries in his career, so that would be a concern.

Don't Forget
1. The Bengals could still cut ties with Chad Ochocinco, which would ramp up the speculation that he could fit with Bill Belichick and the Patriots.

Read more at: Chad Ochocinco Would Bring Excitement to Patriots, But Donte Stallworth Is Best Free-Agent Fit in New England

 

[patsinthesnow]

Gaffney beat out Stallworth on the super offense for #3 WR. How is Stallworth a good fit.........

 

[jmt57]

Patriots Mailbag: Larry Fitzgerald Worth a Pair of Picks, While Adding Veteran Linebacker Could Be Biggest Move of Offseason - NESN.com - Jeff Howe

(Q.): I know we are loaded with draft picks this year, but I would personally trade up to three of them to get Larry Fitzgerald, a man of unlimited talent and great character. He runs all the routes, and has the best hands in the game, something like Cris Carter had. With our up-and-coming defense and a draft stocked with defensive end-type players waiting to be drafted this season, we are going to be dynamite! Bill Belichick has once again stockpiled a bunch of picks as he usually does, and trading a few for Larry makes sense! Go Pats, as I will now turn my attention to our Red Sox, while keeping an eye out for the draft. Anything more about acquiring Donte Stallworth?

(Jeff Howe): It would go against Bill Belichick's style to trade a number of high picks for Larry Fitzgerald, although I don't disagree with anything you said about him. If I were running the Patriots, I'd be willing to give up picks 28 and 60 for Fitzgerald, but I'm not convinced that would be enough to suit the Cardinals' demands. And with the way Belichick has drafted in the last two years, just think of the haul he could potentially snag with those first three picks, all of whom should become starters within a year.

Free agency won't start until there's a new CBA, so there won't be anything new on Donte Stallworth until that happens.

Read more at: Patriots Mailbag: Larry Fitzgerald Worth a Pair of Picks

 

[The_Riddler]

Replacing Tate with Fitzy would put this team over the top and would make Rexie crap himself. Would love to see it.

 

[jmt57]

It Is What It Is -- NFL Draft’s Potential Patriots: UNC WR GREG Little -- Christopher Price, WEEI.com

Greg Little was suspended for all of 2010 for receiving benefits at UNC, and may be available in the latter part of the draft.

Greg Little
Position: Wide Receiver/Running Back
School: North Carolina
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 220 pounds

What he brings: One of the top recruits in 2007 (ranging anywhere from the No. 5 receiver to the No. 13 athlete), Little’s “athlete” status has kind of stuck with him through college. After playing running back in his first two seasons at UNC, he was moved to wide receiver in 2009 for his junior year. He led the Tar Heels with 724 receiving yards and five touchdowns that season and capped it with a two-touchdown effort in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Though it would seem he was set to have a stock-boosting senior campaign in which he could build a first-round résumé, the aforementioned bowl game proved to be his last. An NCAA suspension (see below) cost him his senior season, so he’ll have to ace the Combine and kill it at Pro Day to convince teams he’s worth a high pick.

Where the Patriots could get him: Anywhere from the late second to the fifth round.

Read more and see video at: NFL Draft's Potential Patriots: UNC WR Greg Little

 

[zipster9]

Chad Ochocinco Would Bring Excitement to Patriots, But Donte Stallworth Is Best Free-Agent Fit in New England - NESN.com - Jeff Howe




Read more at: Chad Ochocinco Would Bring Excitement to Patriots, But Donte Stallworth Is Best Free-Agent Fit in New England

I'd say the WR is set. Let TaylorPrice a chance. He looks very promising as a deep threat..

Spend the $$ on DEFENSE, and OL.

 

[jmt57]

Some fans are hoping the Pats use an early pick on a wide receiver; here's something to consider when it comes to drafting a WR:

Drafting Wide Receivers With Top-10 Pick Is a Waste and 19 Other Receiving Thoughts - Patriots Two-Minute Drill - NESN.com - Jeff Howe

14 receivers have been drafted in the top ten since 2001; only three can be considered worthy of their draft status. Those teams averaged 6.7 victories in that player's rookie season and they are a combined 167 games below .500 with those 14 receivers on their roster. Just one of the 14 teams went to the super bowl with that receiver on their roster and only two of those 14 players earned a second contract with the team that drafted him.

 

[jmt57]

NFL.com news: Championship teams are built based on evaluations made now | Michael Lombardi

Looking for a home near Cincinnati or Charlotte? If so, you might want to contact Bengals QB Carson Palmer or Panthers WR Steve Smith. Both are unhappy and want out of town. Palmer is frustrated being in a place that had no structure last year, and Smith is upset about not being able to play with a proven quarterback or in an offense that better suits his skills.

I can see Smith being dealt, as the Panthers are in full rebuild mode and need to use him to gain more draft picks. Maybe, the Panthers will be able to trade Smith to the Patriots and get back the second-rounder they dealt to New England last year. Smith would make great sense for the Patriots.

A month into the New England Patriots' offseason, it's time to discuss intriguing options - espnBoston - Mike Reiss

Q. Do you think that we are well stocked for the future at the wide receiver position? How much can we expect from Taylor Price? I know he is talented, but does he have the potential to be a replacement for Randy Moss?

A. I don't see Price as a speed guy in the Moss-type mold. He reminds me more of a David Givens style of receiver -- physical and fast, but not necessarily a straight-line burner. When I think of players who would be most affected by a potential lockout, he's one of the top ones on the list because I think another full offseason in the system is crucial for his development. As for if the Patriots are well stocked at receiver, I think they are. I do wonder if they have too much of the same type of receiver.


Q. Hello Mike, do you see the Pats trying to get a deeper threat at WR just to boost the aerial assault down the field? I'm not even really sure who the potential free agents are.

A. I don't see it being as high of a priority as other areas, such as the offensive line, defensive line and pass rush, so I see any possible addition would be based on the opportunity available. If a top talent becomes available, maybe it moves them in that direction. As for possible free agents, student assistant Mike Rodak put together an informative capsule detailing the position and some of the options.


Q. It seems there is a good chance Steve Smith is available from Carolina. I would think the Patriots should go after him and not worry about Price/Tate developing since you would have a Pro Bowl receiver instead. Your thoughts?

A. If Smith is available, I'd strongly consider it even though I don't view it as a top need. I think Smith is a top competitor who could thrive with Tom Brady throwing him the ball. A big question would be the cost to acquire him, but the possibility is intriguing.


Q. What are the chances Randy Moss signs with the Patriots?

A. I've thought in the past that if Moss takes the 2007-type approach, it has a slight chance of happening. But I think it would be a longer shot. I'd estimate 10 percent.


Q. Mike, dare to give a Larry Fitzgerald-to-NE scenario another thought? The Cardinals need to rebuild and lack a competent QB, so getting rid of Fitzgerald while they can redeem a few picks seems to be a no-brainer. Plus, the Pats have the picks/cap space and a need for a home-run WR. I know they address needs more through draft than free agency, but LF is only 27 with incredible upside. Is this really too crazy to unfold?

A. I think it's too crazy. Fitzgerald is one of their best players, if not the best, and I just don't see them giving him away. If you're a Cardinals fan, Fitzgerald is one of the few players you can get really excited about right now. Trade him away and I think it's a bad business decision for them, not to mention a bad football decision.

Read more at: NFL.com news: Championship teams are built based on evaluations made now
Read more at: A month into the New England Patriots' offseason, it's time to discuss intriguing options

 

[jmt57]

I'm going to have to disagree on this suggestion:

Twitter question for Peter King

(Q) What do u think patriots do in first round of draft
...
(A) I'd use 2 of those 3 high picks to deal up for 1 of the 2 top WRs.