Doug Gabriel and Chad Jackson Prediction....

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Jackson and Gabriel are major upgrades over Branch and Givens.

And taller too...faster, great hands, and they will have an IMMEDIATE impact, as early as this weekend against the Jets.

I understand that, but I think another reciever would be nice, and Branch would have made this recieving group dangerous..

 

[arrellbee]

Maybe I shouldn't bring Reche Caldwell into a thread titled, Gabriel and Jackson, but ....

I am puzzled as to why Caldwell is so totally off of everyone's radar screen. Mind you, I'm not saying I know something that other folks don't. And I haven't had a chance to watch him live in the stadium.

But if you look at their stats, they are really very very similar. Both down the receiver depth chart and making a touch less than 2 receptions a game. Caldwell has 7 TDs and Gabriel has 5 so that doesn't seem to be much different.

And Belichick did see enough in Caldwell that he signed him for about 900K for this year. Gabriel for a 5th round pick doesn't seem like a much bigger expectation.

I do know from watching Caldwell's plays in the last couple preseason games and this first game with Buffalo, that he had solid production if not spectacular. He hasn't caught a lot of passes yet, but that might be a result of game planning.

As I say, I don't have any solid expectations one way or another, but I am quite curious. Did anyone get to the games and pay attention to what Caldwell was doing where you could comment on whether he was getting any separation on his routes ?

 

[rookBoston]

I'm with NEM on this. I dont see why everyone is so down on the WR corp. They need some practice time, but they have fantastic tools to work with.

For years, we've been complaining about our Smurfs, where Givens was our "big" receiver ... all those whiny posts about "why cant we draft a player like Randy Moss or Reggie Wayne"?

Well, that day has finally come, and instead of seeing the cup half full, everyone is concerned about the other cup that we traded to Seattle.

Jackson, Gabriel, Brown Caldwell and Childress are an incredible combination of size, hands, routes, quickness, experience and youth. In fact, if you were to wipe the slate clean, and put down on paper the kind of WR corp you'd like to have, it would read a lot like what we've got.

Give the O a few weeks to find its rhythm, and you'll be singing a different tune. This is just like Milloy, all over again.

 

[PatsFan37]

Maybe I shouldn't bring Reche Caldwell into a thread titled, Gabriel and Jackson, but ....

I am puzzled as to why Caldwell is so totally off of everyone's radar screen. Mind you, I'm not saying I know something that other folks don't. And I haven't had a chance to watch him live in the stadium.

But if you look at their stats, they are really very very similar. Both down the receiver depth chart and making a touch less than 2 receptions a game. Caldwell has 7 TDs and Gabriel has 5 so that doesn't seem to be much different.

And Belichick did see enough in Caldwell that he signed him for about 900K for this year. Gabriel for a 5th round pick doesn't seem like a much bigger expectation.

I do know from watching Caldwell's plays in the last couple preseason games and this first game with Buffalo, that he had solid production if not spectacular. He hasn't caught a lot of passes yet, but that might be a result of game planning.

As I say, I don't have any solid expectations one way or another, but I am quite curious. Did anyone get to the games and pay attention to what Caldwell was doing where you could comment on whether he was getting any separation on his routes ?

As usual, you have a balanced reaction to the facts on the field.

I'd like to see Caldwell's performance when he has a decent threat opposite him to draw coverage. Some people might be thinking Gabriel and Jackson will start and BB will bench Caldwell. Not a chance. Caldwell plays every down with Gabriel out there some of the time, along with a mix of Brown and Childress and spot duty from Jackson.

Over time, the WR play will improve. But next week, with a couple of new (to NE) WR's getting game action for the first time, I'm expecting at least a few dropped passes and maybe an INT. It may get worse before it gets better.

Now don't go calling me a pessimist. This team will make the playoffs and by then Gabriel and Jackson will have a few games under their belts and the look will be wholly different.

But right now, Caldwell and Brown are the strength of the WR corps.

 

[brady et al fan]

I did not see many missed open receivers by Brady on Sunday so no, Reche was not getting much separation. I hope these guys are doing some serious route running drills this week.

On D&C this morning there was a guest from nfl.com, I believe, who said the Pats got a steal with Gabriel and that the Raider players were shocked that he was traded. He felt the Pats did very well in getting a #1 for Branch while only giving a #5 for Gabriel.

I also think that between Gabriel and Jackson will see significant improvement over the season and that it'll be premature to judge this corps after their first game with Brady. These guys need to gain a rhythm with each other and that will only come over several weeks. We'll see what we think of these guys at midseason.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Let's not go too far here. Jackson hasn't played a down in the NFL and Gabriel has never been more than a #4. They have potential, and I do like the enthusiasm for their play, but let's not put in a catagory that they haven't even been given the opportunity to take.

Blasphemy!!!!

Sorry BigT - you just don't know what you're talking about.

We like to look at the bright side around here.

Once personnel moves and trades are completed we blindly look at the bright side and don't take kindly to people offering common sense.

We'll take potential over proven performance any day.

I'm personally going to see if I can drum up support to have the team trade away Dillon and Maroney in favor of Heath Evans and Patrick Cobbs, who as everyone knows really are upgrades over what we currently have at RB.

 

[sieglo]

I'm personally going to see if I can drum up support to have the team trade away Dillon and Maroney in favor of Heath Evans and Patrick Cobbs, who as everyone knows really are upgrades over what we currently have at RB.

Why not just trade Brady for Vince Young?

 

[JoeSixPat]

Why not just trade Brady for Vince Young?

I'll consider it but only if Michael Bishop isn't available...

Look - as of right now we've got the team that we've got... and I think we're all confident that BB will find a way to make this work

In the long term, we all recognize that we weren't going to give Branch $39 million and Givens $25 million.

But in the short term, to state definatively that we're better off with Gabriel and Jackson as our 1/2 WRs than we were with Branch and Givens - who had nearly 140 receptions between then last year - is "homerism" at its worst.

I'm just constantly amazed at people's ability to delude themselves.

I hope all these guys over-achieve and all simultaneously have career years - because that's exactly what everyone seems to be "guaranteeing".

If just one of them has a career year I'll be happy - and I actually have great hope that Caldwell may have turned a corner last week - but for everyone to expect him to have #1 WR numbers when he only has 78 catches IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER is just setting yourself up for disappointment.

This team has achieved its success to a large degree by keeping reasonable expectations and achievable goals for all players. If these are the players we have I'm sure we'll cover our deficiencies well enough to win - but I also expect that BB and SP are actively looking for ways to upgrade our WR corps as we speak.

... and that's without even contemplating whether or not we have the depth to prevail should Watson or another offensive cog go down with injury

 

[State]

I hope it won't be frustrating this year watching an unproductive receiver corps

With Branch it wasn't just his speed, which was good, but his quickness. That was special. He also had intangibles, like going over the middle against the Steelers. Reche Caldwell doing that? I hope I'm proven wrong.

Furthermore, Deion and Tom had a very close relationship. I know that the NFL is a business but it was nice to see two top athletes so obviously enjoy each other.

My prediction: this won't be good for either the Pats (at least this year, obviously, the draft is a crap shoot) or Deion professionally. He left a very good situation.

Seattle is good, but NE with Brady was special. I, for one, am very sorry to see the man go. But the team did what it had to do.

But that agent, Bob Sugar...