Possible guys to bring in to fill the WR void?!?!

[Dragda]

David Boston blows...

...the Patriots are 1-0 with a reasonable schedule ahead...

I just don't get the constant drone of 'sign this guy! trade for that guy! spend to the cap!'.

Pretty content in watching the season unfold as is...

I hear you. It has been constant as long as I have been reading these boards. People like to talk about that kind of stuff. Free agent finds and trades. Those two things are very popular topics. I have grown tired of it, but still read the threads. I think its like looking at car wrecks as I drive by them. Hard to resist.

 

[lobster]

The Pat's are probably very thorough in monitoring all the players potentially available. However because the short passing game is based so much on timing with Brady, it's getting late to bring in a WR not already familiar with the Pat's system.

One I've wondered about is David Patten (Redskins) who hasn't caught a pass since November in a regular season game - including their first game this season.

 

[PATSNUTme]

What friggin void do we have at WR? Has anyone seen Gabe or Chad play in any regular season game for the Patriots?

Threads like this are as bad as reading/listening to Felger, Borges, Tomase, and those two morons on NEST.

And I'm getting sick of it. Sick, Sick Sick!

 

[NordicVoyager]

Boston and Porter are head cases, and most of the other options out there are just bandaids.

Wasn't Branch too a head case in the end? Very "ME" focused...

 

[dryheat44]

What friggin void do we have at WR? Has anyone seen Gabe or Chad play in any regular season game for the Patriots?

Kind of the point.

 

[JoeSixPat]

It's worth keeping an eye out and holding tryouts - there may or may not be an actual "void" but there is a high need for quality depth.

Let's look at our WR corps (...and not our TEs because the real need is to credibly stretch the field so that our TEs and RBs can be open options as well)

* = Question Mark - we do NOT know for sure what can be expected from these guys.

1. Troy Brown - the only sure thing on the roster. We know at the very least he's good for 35 receptions like last year, and hope he might have even more in the tank at age 35.

2*. Gabriel - a guy who hasn't played a down for us is looked at as many as our #2 WR. He's a veteran, who has a career high of only 37 passes - lots of upside - but we have to consider him a question mark (*) until we see what he can do on the field in a game.

3*. Jackson - Another question mark. #1 WR potential but hasn't been on the field. Rookie WRs also typically need time to development. That hasn't stopped many from declaring him ready to haul in 50 plus passes this year, but in reality, he's a question mark.

4*. Caldwell - Two very good receptions last week - but still just 2 (on pace for 32 this year). Had the drosies in pre-season. Another question mark.

5.* Childress/Smith/Revolving Door - enough said - if it were my call, Caldwell would have a permanent spot on the roster - but clearly the coaching staff has some questions.


Bottom Line:

We have Troy Brown and 4 question marks.

Brown, Gabriel, Jackson and Caldwell are not going anywhere - at least not short term. That leaves 2 roster spots for others to fight over. I'm all for letting anyone and everyone fight it out to see who can stick.

Will all 4 question marks crap out? Unlikely - 2 out of 4? Maybe. Will all 4 exceed reasonable expectations (that is, based on what they've done in the past?) Unlikely as well.

So we won't know for awhile - but by the same token, all we need to do is keep a credible, deep threat, and successfully use it often enough to prevent defenses from collapsing on our running and short to mid game.

 

[Brownfan80]

Brown, Gabriel, Jackson and Caldwell are not going anywhere - at least not short term. That leaves 2 roster spots for others to fight over. I'm all for letting anyone and everyone fight it out to see who can stick.

Good post Joe, but I'd have to remark that as evidenced by the repeated swapping of Smith and Childress there are only 5 WR slots on this roster (leaving just the one to fight over, not two). If there were two, then wouldn't both guys be here?

The depth chart at this point seems to be:

1. Brown
2. Caldwell
*Gabriel
*Jackson
5. Childress/Smith

Five total, with two injured. It remains to be seen who gets what playing time until the injured guys get their hammies all patched up.

 

[primetime]

Jimmy Smith is the only one who even remotely would interest me, but he's retired and the speculation is that he retired to avoid a four game suspension because of substance abuse policy violations.

 

[dryheat44]

Jimmy Smith is the only one who even remotely would interest me, but he's retired and the speculation is that he retired to avoid a four game suspension because of substance abuse policy violations.

Not to mention he's probably on Jacksonville's Reserve-Retired list.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I apologize. I posted the wrong image in my previous post and I deleted it.

What I should have posted is this:

Yes, we now have a huge void at WR. We just traded a guy who hasn't played for us this year at all, and if we hadn't traded him, he wouldn't have played until game 10. We have two guys who haven't played for us but probably will play for us this weeks.

So, because of the trade, we now have more of a void at WR than we had before the trade.

I get it now.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Good post Joe, but I'd have to remark that as evidenced by the repeated swapping of Smith and Childress there are only 5 WR slots on this roster (leaving just the one to fight over, not two). If there were two, then wouldn't both guys be here?

The depth chart at this point seems to be:

1. Brown
2. Caldwell
*Gabriel
*Jackson
5. Childress/Smith

Five total, with two injured. It remains to be seen who gets what playing time until the injured guys get their hammies all patched up.

I guess I'm saying that, although I disagree and would like to see Childress stick - the coaching staff doesn't have enough faith in either Childress or Smith to give them a dedicated roster spot.

Therefore I look at the 5th position as open for competition from everyone.

Its also worth noting that as of now, there's really no proven order - any of the top 4 could wind up being our #1 or #2 WR by default (normally you want PROVEN commodities in those spots).

As such, any veterans we bring in to take a 5th or 6th WR roster spot can't be looked at as a typical 5th or 6th WR - the guys that are almost always left inactive on game day.

It would be a wide open competition for everyone to set the pecking order based on production.

If not for his hamstring we know that Jackson has enough speed to be a deep threat. IF he's healthy that's a BIG first step. Gabriel SEEMS like he might be a credible deep threat as well.

Really, if we had just two credible deep threats the keep defenses honest, that's all we need.

 

[Brownfan80]

I guess I'm saying that, although I disagree and would like to see Childress stick - the coaching staff doesn't have enough faith in either Childress or Smith to give them a dedicated roster spot.

Therefore I look at the 5th position as open for competition from everyone.

Its also worth noting that as of now, there's really no proven order - any of the top 4 could wind up being our #1 or #2 WR by default (normally you want PROVEN commodities in those spots).

As such, any veterans we bring in to take a 5th or 6th WR roster spot can't be looked at as a typical 5th or 6th WR - the guys that are almost always left inactive on game day.

It would be a wide open competition for everyone to set the pecking order based on production.

If not for his hamstring we know that Jackson has enough speed to be a deep threat. IF he's healthy that's a BIG first step. Gabriel SEEMS like he might be a credible deep threat as well.

Really, if we had just two credible deep threats the keep defenses honest, that's all we need.

Well, if all that's needed is a guy that can run really fast in a straight line (ala Bethel and Davis) then that may be why Smith was kept over Bam, from what I understand of Smith speed is one of his best attributes. Unless I'm remembering things wrong.

If that's the case, then he may fill one of those "run deep in a straight line" spots as well as his likely ST spot.

 

[PromisedLand]

I don't think we will be bringing in anyone, at least right away. Jackson and Gabriel may be question marks to us but they are less so to the coaching staff. While many other teams brought in players for workouts yesterday (Tuesday, the usual day to do so), we did not. (*) That tells me that BB thinks Jackson and Gabriel will be making significant contributions sooner rather than later.

(*) See my post here which references this article.

 

[bishbash]

...the Patriots are 1-0 with a reasonable schedule ahead...

I just don't get the constant drone of 'sign this guy! trade for that guy! spend to the cap!'.

Pretty content in watching the season unfold as is...

AGREE! Not to mention threads on "who do we replace BB with?" and "what would you do if Brady or Seymour pulled a Branch?", etc.

Was our running game performance all smoke and mirrors last week? Are Dillon, Maroney, Faulk, etc., all hiding career ending injuries? Yeah, we've done well with strong receiving and adequate running in the past 5 years. But must this board go into an absolute panic over strong running and adequate passing????

 

[ChockBlkr]

Is Vince Papale still around?

 

[AzPatsFan]

The Patriots have their roster of WRs. All the suggestions of has beens, never-weres, busts, headcases, nose candy afficianados, et cetera are a waste of time. The Patriots would never consider them.

Besides there is a talented guy out there that they have already offered to sign, but signed with no one. That is former first rounder and young veteran FA Kevin Johnson. He is still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury and was not ready yet, just before training camp, but was getting closer to being ready.

In an interview at the time, he said he wanted to sign with the Patriots, but it wasn't time yet. He is a talent when he has his wheels back, and pretty good size at 5-11 190# with deep speed. I believe he had a season of 75 catches or so too. He wasn't a bust, just injured.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

There is no void. The only issue is the new guys (Jackson, Gabriel, Childress) learning the offense - well bringing in someone new won't help that.

Anyway, if Dante Stallworth can go to Philly and 1-2 weeks later catch 6-141 then I don't want to hear any crap about how our guys can't learn the offense. Learn the damn offense and go and make plays. If the offense needs to be dumbed down for a few weeks so they only have to learn a piece of it, so be it. If Philly and Stallworth can do it, so can we. Damnit.

Chad Jackson has been learning the offense. WTF else has he been doing besides sitting on his rear. Gabriel was hurt, according to some info. He gets a pass because he's new but he still needs to learn the playbook, as that was another rumor of why he didn't play.

Like you said there is no void.

 

[primetime]

Not to mention he's probably on Jacksonville's Reserve-Retired list.

A quick Google search shows that he is. That's the end of that, then.

 

[JoeSixPat]

Well, if all that's needed is a guy that can run really fast in a straight line (ala Bethel and Davis) then that may be why Smith was kept over Bam, from what I understand of Smith speed is one of his best attributes. Unless I'm remembering things wrong.

If that's the case, then he may fill one of those "run deep in a straight line" spots as well as his likely ST spot.

Obviously it's much more than that - as fast as Bethel is he would not be a credible deep threat.

What you want is someone who is going to command attention of more than just one man in the secondary. You want someone who can get separation, or run a deep route, and actually catch the ball.

I'm not quite sure but somehow this point is lost by many that speed only counts for so much - and furthermore people don't seem to understand what having a legitimate deep threat does to open up the offense.

Jackson, we believe, has all the skills - assuming he is healthy. But until he proves it he's not commanding more than man to man coverage, leaving the safeties to give other more credible receivers a very tough time.

 

[Brownfan80]

Obviously it's much more than that - as fast as Bethel is he would not be a credible deep threat.

What you want is someone who is going to command attention of more than just one man in the secondary. You want someone who can get separation, or run a deep route, and actually catch the ball.

I'm not quite sure but somehow this point is lost by many that speed only counts for so much - and furthermore people don't seem to understand what having a legitimate deep threat does to open up the offense.

Jackson, we believe, has all the skills - assuming he is healthy. But until he proves it he's not commanding more than man to man coverage, leaving the safeties to give other more credible receivers a very tough time.

Oh, I wasn't talking about what we'd want in an optimal situation, I was talking about who could replace past production. The past few seasons Bethel and Davis have filled that "run deep as a decoy until you're wide open once in a blue moon so defenses have to respect it" role, and I think J Smith could do that just as well as they did.

Not to say that's all we're looking for, but if that's all we've got it's more than nothing. It's sure as heck that Bam or Reche aren't really fast enough to be that 'over the top if you don't cover me' threat, IMO.