Aaron Dobson

[Bobs My Uncle]

Unfortunately, it's looking as though Dobson may not be the player that many believed he would become.

 

[patsinthesnow]

I think a completely healthy Dobson with a full offseason may be fighting for a starting job over a roster spot.

Dobson's foot injury is approaching the stupidity of Amendola's groin injury from last year.

He's not injured, Rob. There is no evidence he is injured. He saw limited snaps vs Cinci and Buf because he is low on the depth chart. He was inactive vs. the Jets because he is low on the depth chart.

 

[Gronkowski123]

Unfortunately, it's looking as though Dobson may not be the player that many believed he would become.

yea, silly me. i thought dobson could potentially be a 1,000 yard receiver.
now, looks like dobson won't crack 250 yards. i have no doubt that if dobson played for a different team he'd be more productive. just look at terrance williams and keenan allen.

 

[JFK]

I think a completely healthy Dobson with a full offseason may be fighting for a starting job over a roster spot.

Based on Tate, C Jack, Price history? We can't draft WRs

 

[Gronkowski123]

Based on Tate, C Jack, Price history? We can't draft WRs

deion branch and david givens ring a bell?

 

[Brit patriot]

He was online to get close to 1000 last year before the injury so I wouldn't panic. Just seems with two tight ends, an Minitron and Lafell looking excellent he just isn't getting game time. Difficult to get yards when you aren't playing, and as things stand we look better receiving than we did when he was a fixture last year.

It is up to him now to prove he is worthy on the training field

 

[Rob0729]

Dobson's foot injury is approaching the stupidity of Amendola's groin injury from last year.

He's not injured, Rob. There is no evidence he is injured. He saw limited snaps vs Cinci and Buf because he is low on the depth chart. He was inactive vs. the Jets because he is low on the depth chart.

He isn't injured. He is just probably not 100%. Gronk isn't injured, but he isn't back to 100%.

Dobson doesn't go from a productive rookie season to a regular inactive unless there is something.

Or are you conceding Gronk is no longer elite and just a good TE because he is definitely 100% since he has been removed from the injury report.

You don't know anymore than me on whether he is 100%. The Pats will never let on any way. All I do know is what was a strength for him last year (getting open off the line of scrimmage) is now a weakness for him. The only thing that has changed from last year to this year is his foot.

And BTW, Amendola had surgery on his groin during the offseason. So how exactly has that been overplayed? It wasn't an issue for him and he just had surgery on it for the heck of it?

 

[Rob0729]

Based on Tate, C Jack, Price history? We can't draft WRs

None of those guys ever produced like Dobson did his rookies season. Again, Dobson had the best rookie season in the Brady era.

Tate and Price never did anything on this team. Jackson never did as much as Dobson,

And before Chandler Jones, Belichick could never draft a productive pass rushing 4-3 DE/3-4 OLB. Times change.

 

[JFK]

None of those guys ever produced like Dobson did his rookies season. Again, Dobson had the best rookie season in the Brady era.

Tate and Price never did anything on this team. Jackson never did as much as Dobson,

And before Chandler Jones, Belichick could never draft a productive pass rushing 4-3 DE/3-4 OLB. Times change.

I hope I am wrong.

 

[mgteich]

Folks think that Dobson isn't what we hoped for, and therefore he is battling for a roster spot after the season.

I don't agree. Dobson has potential and has shown that he can play in the NFL. That makes him worth the $725K the team would need to pay him as one of our 5 wide receivers in 2015 ($827K in 2016).

Let us take the worst case, that Dobson is 100% healthy and at the bottom of the depth chart. Is he worth $561K we are paying him this year as the #5? Of course, he is! Do many other teams have better #5 wide receivers?

The best case is that he is nowhere near 100% after his surgery in the Spring, and that we don't need to have him play, given our alternatives. In this scenario, Dobson will compete for a starting spot next offseason.

Unless his injuries are career ending, I expect to see Dobson back in 2015 and 2016.

 

[New England Pride]

I'm not losing faith in Dobson as a player but the second year jump is looking bleak. We will see how it works out with Lafell this year.

 

[VrabelJr]

For what it's worth, I was extremely unimpressed with Dobson's interview right after we drafted him. I remember him coming off as a bit too nonchalant for someone just drafted. I wanted to believe it just meant he had a cool demeanor, but maybe he just doesn't work hard.

 

[supafly]

Why don't you see it? Is Gronk 100% healthy right now? I would say a big no. He isn't on the injury report. Does that mean Gronk is 100%, but just not as good as he used to be? Because by this logic, Gronk is definitely 100% and what we have now is the ceiling for what we will get for the rest of his career.

People put too much stock on the injury report. There is a difference between being injured and limited in practice and not fully recovered from a serious injury. If I remember correctly in 2009, Welker was never on the injury report and he clearly wasn't even close to 100% until late in the year.

So, by your logic they should be holding Gronkowski out because he's not totally healed then? That's exactly what you and the other poster are suggesting with Aaron Dobson with your "in between" theory. If he wasn't able to practice or play in games (which he's done, just very ineffectively), then he'd still likely be on the injury report in some form--yes. That's why it's called a "healthy scratch" in a multitude of media and beat reports.

Dobson is clearly behind the other receivers in Belichick's mind, and rightfully so. They were cautious with the way they brought him back with his projection around June, but he's obviously healed enough to where they felt comfortable playing him in games, which he has done--without seeing many targets. Giving him an extra 3 months was one thing, but ignoring the fact that there are better options in front of him is something altogether different.

You can feel free to ignore those reports and come up with your own conclusion, but most of us are reading the writing on the wall which suggests that he's lost his spot to LaFell and even Tyms. Belichick puts the best players on the field to try and win the game. Aaron Dobson is clearly not one of those players at the moment.

EDIT: Just saw your other comments about him potentially being 90 percent healthy. If that's what you really believe, then I understand your point much better now, and you may be right.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

He could be out there..but isn't becasue either he's a problem...or doesn't know the plays and players like Tyms have jumped over him. Health is not the issue

Lafell looks better then him anyways right now and i am fine with that. And if Tyms can see more action then great...but lets put aside that BS health reason

 

[supafly]

A 90% Dobson as a speed outside receiver makes him not a great outside WR.

Unlike Gronk, Dobson needs to be closer to 100% to be productive. He relies on his foot speed and ability to make fast cuts and crisp routes.

Between all 3 of Tyms, LaFall, and Dobson, they are all battling for 2/3 spots--and yet Dobson was the second round pick who already had experience in the system, whereas the others did not.

If he's really at 90% health right now, he's simply not that talented or efficient in our system--and that's not only unfortunate, but very concerning moving forward.

I don't think there's any reason whatsoever to give up on him since he'll likely be in the mix next year, but he's definitely got his work cut out for him.

If there's an injury, he'll be "Josh Boyced" like last year and made active, but that's not because he's earning it or displaying his talent. If that happens, maybe he'll make the most of his opportunity.

 

[supafly]

He could be out there..but isn't becasue either he's a problem...or doesn't know the plays and players like Tyms have jumped over him. Health is not the issue

Lafell looks better then him anyways right now and i am fine with that. And if Tyms can see more action then great...but lets put aside that BS health reason

When you are the only one who has experience in our system and you're also the high draft pick out of the 3 battling for two spots (Tyms, LaFell, and Dobson) and yet you still can't make it on the active gameday list, it's likely more than "just" being injured.

Seeing @Rob0729 and AA12's comments about possibly only being "90 percent" healthy does put his thoughts in perspective though, as I think we're all pretty much in the same place on the subject--just saying it a bit differently

 

[Rob0729]

So, by your logic they should be holding Gronkowski out because he's not totally healed then? That's exactly what you and the other poster are suggesting with Aaron Dobson with your "in between" theory. If he wasn't able to practice or play in games (which he's done, just very ineffectively), then he'd still likely be on the injury report in some form--yes. That's why it's called a "healthy scratch" in a multitude of media and beat reports.

Dobson is clearly behind the other receivers in Belichick's mind, and rightfully so. They were cautious with the way they brought him back with his projection around June, but he's obviously healed enough to where they felt comfortable playing him in games, which he has done--without seeing many targets. Giving him an extra 3 months was one thing, but ignoring the fact that there are better options in front of him is something altogether different.

You can feel free to ignore those reports and come up with your own conclusion, but most of us are reading the writing on the wall which suggests that he's lost his spot to LaFell and even Tyms. Belichick puts the best players on the field to try and win the game. Aaron Dobson is clearly not one of those players at the moment.

First, he is called a healthy scratch because he is not on the injury report. The reporters don't know much more than we do other than that.

Second, Gronk is an elite TE who can be a good TE being less than 100%. Dobson had a good year as a rookie, but was not a top WR in the league. I expected him to be a good #2 WR this year. Less than 100% Dobson makes him in the #3-5 WR range and he doesn't play special teams which puts him behind other guys who do. Gronk is the best player at his position when 100%, at 90% there might be 3-4 TEs who are better. The analogy doesn't work both ways. It is stupid to suggest that Gronk would be inactive by my logic because he is off the injury report, but clearly not 100% but still a very good player clearly not 100%.

Third, Dobson needs to rely on his speed at his position. If he can only run at say 90%, he isn't going to get open when he could at 100%. Gronk can get past running at 100%, but a fast outside WR cannot.

Fourth, maybe Dobson got on the field because Belichick knows he has a lot of talent that is hindered by his foot not being 100% and he thought having him play through it might get him over the threshold especially if a lot of the problem is mental (common for players coming of a major injury).

Fifth, Dobson was easily the second best WR on the team last year. He was really developing a knack of getting open and burning the guy covering him prior to his injury. Since he broke his foot and his surgery, the reports are he is struggling to get open. Why wouldn't people think the injury would have something to do with that?

I don't get why people so easily dismiss the foot surgery as a cause of Dobson's problems this season. I don't get how people think it is impossible that he just may not be fully recovered from the foot surgery. I admit my belief it is because of it is my belief and I could be wrong, but the other side have written the guy off as just sucking.

 

[supafly]

First, he is called a healthy scratch because he is not on the injury report. The reporters don't know much more than we do other than that.

Second, Gronk is an elite TE who can be a good TE being less than 100%. Dobson had a good year as a rookie, but was not a top WR in the league. I expected him to be a good #2 WR this year. Less than 100% Dobson makes him in the #3-5 WR range and he doesn't play special teams which puts him behind other guys who do. Gronk is the best player at his position when 100%, at 90% there might be 3-4 TEs who are better. The analogy doesn't work both ways. It is stupid to suggest that Gronk would be inactive by my logic because he is off the injury report, but clearly not 100% but still a very good player clearly not 100%.

Third, Dobson needs to rely on his speed at his position. If he can only run at say 90%, he isn't going to get open when he could at 100%. Gronk can get past running at 100%, but a fast outside WR cannot.

Fourth, maybe Dobson got on the field because Belichick knows he has a lot of talent that is hindered by his foot not being 100% and he thought having him play through it might get him over the threshold especially if a lot of the problem is mental (common for players coming of a major injury).

Fifth, Dobson was easily the second best WR on the team last year. He was really developing a knack of getting open and burning the guy covering him prior to his injury. Since he broke his foot and his surgery, the reports are he is struggling to get open. Why wouldn't people think the injury would have something to do with that?

I don't get why people so easily dismiss the foot surgery as a cause of Dobson's problems this season. I don't get how people think it is impossible that he just may not be fully recovered from the foot surgery. I admit my belief it is because of it is my belief and I could be wrong, but the other side have written the guy off as just sucking.

I hadn't seen your "90 percent healthy" comments yet when I posted this. Now that I've read your stance, I think we may be much closer to being in agreement than I had before.

I was under the impression that you were simply using the old injury excuse with Dobson, as it's clearly a combination of different problems with him.

I can definitely believe that "he's only 90 percent healthy," although I also belief that his struggles go a bit beyond that as well. It's just a difference of opinions a bit. I always felt that our three rookie receivers were overhyped from last year, but that's just how I feel.

 

[Rob0729]

Between all 3 of Tyms, LaFall, and Dobson, they are all battling for 2/3 spots--and yet Dobson was the second round pick who already had experience in the system, whereas the others did not.

If he's really at 90% health right now, he's simply not that talented or efficient in our system--and that's not only unfortunate, but very concerning moving forward.

I don't think there's any reason whatsoever to give up on him since he'll likely be in the mix next year, but he's definitely got his work cut out for him.

If there's an injury, he'll be "Josh Boyced" like last year and made active, but that's not because he's earning it or displaying his talent. If that happens, maybe he'll make the most of his opportunity.

I am sorry, but I totally disagree with you. Dobson had the most promising rookie season of the Brady era and what was most impressive was his ability to get open. Unfortunately he is not Julio Jones who is an elite WR and can play through recovering from a broken foot and subsequent surgery (but he has a size advantage to work with). Maybe if Dobson was a more seasoned veteran, it would be easier for him to play through less than 100%. Losing the entire offseason and training camp put him way behind in his progression even if he started the season at 100%.

People are writing this guy off way too quick. He may bust out. Or he just may need more time to get back close to 100%.

 

[Rob0729]

I hadn't seen your "90 percent healthy" comments yet when I posted this. Now that I've read your stance, I think we may be much closer to being in agreement than I had before.

I was under the impression that you were simply using the old injury excuse with Dobson, as it's clearly a combination of different problems with him.

I can definitely believe that "he's only 90 percent healthy," although I also belief that his struggles go a bit beyond that as well. It's just a difference of opinions a bit. I always felt that our three rookie receivers were overhyped from last year, but that's just how I feel.

I think Dobson showed a lot of promise last year. He may never reach it, but he did something that can't be taught (at least not easily). He was consistently burning his coverage with double moves and his speed.

I never thought he would be Calvin Johnson, but I think when healthy he can be a 1,000 yard receiver. His ceiling could be on a similar level as say Deion Branch who was alway more of a good #2 WR in this offense than the primary WR.