Here is the part that is just silly. Do you really believe that Bryant (got franchise tag and was upset by it) and Boldin (never happy with his contract situation in Arizona) think of themselves as "mid-level"? I promise you that they think of themselves as #1 or at least co-#1. And they will want to get paid like it. And receive that associated looks from the QB.
Even going with the low-end of your recommendation, here is what the WR lineup looks like around week 8 pending new injuries or injury complications:
1) Moss
2) Bryant
3) Welker
4) Walter
5) Edelman
6) Tate
7) Jacoby Ford (or someone like him)
8) Seyi Ajirotutu (or someone like him)
9) Aiken (he is a ST captain so they aren't cutting him)
That isn't realistic. Obviously at least 2 of those guys would need to go. Even if the Pats were given unlimited roster spots and no salary cap moving forward, nobody below the #4 spot would see a practice pass from Brady. So while collecting WRs like an old lady collects cats may seem like a good idea, you really can't build a team this way.
Well, Bryant and Boldin aren't much better than "mid-level" #2/solid #3 IMHO, regardless what they think of themselves. I simply included them as examples of FA vet WRs who are apparently familiar to a lot of folks here since their names keep coming up in that context. If, in reality, they won't accept a secondary WR position and the pay that goes with it, fine. Doesn't really affect the principle here. Personally, I think Branch or Walter would be more appropriate.
One reason I suggest bringing multiples into camp - we brought in two vets last year, neither of whom worked out at all. Admittedly, neither Lewis nor Galloway were of the caliber that even Branch or Walter
appear to be, but we hung onto Galloway for an agonizingly long time because we simply had no real, viable alternatives. It seemed nearly inconceivable at the time that both those guys would turn out to be utter crap and unable to contribute even a little in a #3 or #4 role, and yet . . .
And, what did we have for contingencies? A kid still rehabbing a serious knee injury, another kid trying to convert to WR from QB, yet another kid who'd gone undrafted in 2008 and was out of football for the year, and Sam Aiken (?). And, then, later, another QB-to-WR conversion project from the Cowboys P/S who had stated that he wanted to be a QB, NOT a WR.
Excuse me for wanting to have a somewhat more solid plan with a few more options this time around. It seems to me that, after last year's experience with imported vets, either (e.g.) a Walter or a Branch (or even both) could similarly fail. Never say "never."
What seems "silly" and "unrealistic" to me is
assuming that both veteran acquisitions will work out,
assuming that Moss will be able to stay healthy and consistently productive playing nearly every snap for the entire season again,
assuming that Welker - IF he comes back in Week-7 or so - will immediately be 100% of what he was pre-injury,
assuming that Edelman actually has more upside than he's shown, and
assuming that Tate will ever play football at all, much less be a solid contributor.
So, no, it doesn't seem silly or unrealistic to me to bring a bunch of worthy candidates
into camp to see what shakes out. That's what camp is for, as I understand it. Doing it this way simply better ensures that we end up with good depth at the position on the final 53-man roster. So, we end up with an embarrassment of riches - so what? Better too many than too few, as 2009 should have so painfully demonstrated.
