Wide Receiver

[mgteich]

Lewis did not start the season for the pats. Tate was on the PUP list and came back for one game.
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Aiken started the season as a position receiver, the #4 receiver or perhaps #5. Galloway was cut. Aiken was #4. However, the reality is that Edelman was not much of a factor except as a slot receiver. I believe he was injured three times.

Aiken was our wideout opposite Moss. Many thought this was a terrible flaw in our 2009 offense. Obviously Moss and welker more than made up for any weakness that Aiken had.
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This year is MUCH different. We figure to start the season with six actual position receivers on the roster. This does NOT count Aiken or Slater as receivers.
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Perhaps it is semantics, but I do not call teh first receiver off the bench an "emergency" receiver. That was Aiken's role from the first game of the season onward.

I think that is over simplifying Aiken's role at WR a bit.

When the Pats were at this same point a year ago, Aiken was behind Moss, Welker, Galloway, Lewis, Tate and Edelman. Aiken did indeed make seven starts - but it was due to just that, emergencies. Those emergencies were the combination of the inabilities of Lewis and Galloway, and the injuries to Welker, Edelman and Tate.

The reason he started (i.e., was the #3 receiver) was because of emergencies.


Saying Aiken was the #3 WR would be like saying after the end of the 2008 season that Matt Cassel was the #1 QB based on his stats and number of starts in that previous year. Cassel was not the #1 QB; he was the emergency (backup) QB. Same situation for Aiken.

 

[jmt57]

Lewis did not start the season for the pats. Tate was on the PUP list and came back for one game.
=====

Aiken started the season as a position receiver, the #4 receiver or perhaps #5. Galloway was cut. Aiken was #4. However, the reality is that Edelman was not much of a factor except as a slot receiver. I believe he was injured three times.

Aiken was our wideout opposite Moss. Many thought this was a terrible flaw in our 2009 offense. Obviously Moss and welker more than made up for any weakness that Aiken had.
=========

This year is MUCH different. We figure to start the season with six actual position receivers on the roster. This does NOT count Aiken or Slater as receivers.
==========

Perhaps it is semantics, but I do not call teh first receiver off the bench an "emergency" receiver. That was Aiken's role from the first game of the season onward.

I guess you're right, we're just getting into semantics.

Point is that at this time a year ago - end of July - Aiken was not the #3 WR.

There were five others ahead of him, plus another on PUP at this time a year ago. Fast forward 365 days and Aiken once again finds himself behind five WRs, plus another on PUP.

365 days ago Aiken was an emergency WR - just like he is today. He was not a #3 WR 365 days ago, nor is he a #3 WR today.


I think what's throwing this topic off course is that we are comparing what Aiken ended up being in September and October of last year versus where he stood on this same date a year ago. In addition he was elevated to that place (#3WR) on the depth chart not because of what he accomplished, but because of negative things that happened to other players. To me, that's the definition of an 'emergency' player: a guy that starts not because he did something right, but because something bad/wrong happens to other(s) ahead of him that otherwise would have been expected to be starting.

 

[jmt57]

Christopher Price of WEEI takes a look at one of the longshots to make the roster.

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 1)

81. Wide receiver Buddy Farnham: Anytime a New England kid gets his chance to step on the field with the Patriots, it’s a great story. (“Growing up, always being a fan of the Patriots, it’s pretty cool,” the 6-foot, 200-pound Farnham said this spring. “I used to come here every year and sit in the stands with my dad. Now getting to be on the field is a pretty cool experience.”) But the Brown product, an undrafted free agent who turned down what would have undoubtedly been a better situation for him in Tampa Bay to sign with the Patriots, is the longest of long shots to stick at the wide receiver spot. It’s worth mentioning that his template is Sean Morey, another undersized wide receiver from Brown who ended up sticking around the league for a lot longer than anyone thought he could.

 

[jmt57]

Andy Hart of Patriots Football Weekly gives a detailed pre-camp (written 7/19) look at the WR position.

Official Patriots Football Weekly Blog Blog Archive From the Hart: Role call! — WR

Here is the summary:

Andy Hart says…
First, I think Moss is poised for another big year and expect that Welker will be on the active roster to open the season. I also think that Holt will help this team this year, far more than Galloway ever did and close to a Gaffney-ish complementary role. When it comes to the young guys, I’m really interested to see what Price can do. I think he might be the best, most well-rounded option for the future at the position. I have my overall doubts about Tate and need to see Edelman prove he can stay healthy and take the pounding in the slot. That’s not easy and is why Welker has been so special in New England.

Erik Scalavino says…
Clearly, Welker’s condition is the biggest concern at wide receiver, but after seeing him perform in the spring, I’m more optimistic that he’ll be contributing in Week 1 of the regular season. And with Moss heading into a contract year, I’m expecting big things from him again, too.
I’m cautiously optimistic that Holt will stabilize the all-important third wide receiver spot, and expect Edelman to continue his impressive development, both in his role and as a receiver in general. Tate’s potential as a receiver and kick returner are intriguing. Price will also get every opportunity to prove himself. They both appear to have talent that the Patriots coaches can exploit.

 

[jmt57]

Some observations on the WRs from the first two days of camp, from the guys at PFW.


PFW: Practice 1 Training Camp Observations
–At various points in drills both Matthew Slater and Brandon Tate struggled catching the ball, possibly thanks to some slick hands. Tate failed to haul in a Brady pass in some goal line work, a throw that while not perfect was certainly catchable.

PFW: Practice 2 Observations
–Brandon Tate made a great catch on a deep ball down the left sideline against air early in practice. While falling to the ground he reached up to first bring the ball in with one hand before securing it with the other as he went to the ground just inside the pylon for the touchdown.

PFW: Practice 3 Observations
–Speaking of Farnham and Chung, there looked to be some “friendly” (note the sarcastic quotes) competition between these two when the defense faced a scout team offense. A couple of plays in a row, Chung and Farnham got physical and jawed with one another during and after the action.

PFW: Practice 4 Observations
–Wide receiver Julian Edelman got the best of fellow second-year guy Patrick Chung on a couple of occasions. Edelman made a nifty swim move to elude Chung on a fly route down the right hash and hauled in the pass despite some apparent clawing by Chung, who was trying to recover from the shakedown. Later, Edelman separated from Chung with a good head-fake to secure a completion on an out-pattern. Chung was visibly disappointed with himself on both efforts.

– During Team O vs Team D period at the end of the afternoon, wide receiver Torry Holt made a great catch in traffic over the middle, but as he appeared to let up on the play, he was stripped by linebacker Jerod Mayo. The loose ball was picked up by safety Brandon Meriweather, who returned it a ways before a coach’s whistle blew the play dead.

–In that same period, quarterback Tom Brady lobbed a gorgeous touchdown strike to Randy Moss, who beat rookie Devin McCourty to the back of the end zone and tip-toed to stay in bounds for the score.

 

[jmt57]

I guess this will put an end to the "Is There Any Way David Patten Can Make This Team - Part II" thread.

WR David Patten Retires : Ian's New England Patriots Blog

 

[jmt57]

WEEI's Christopher Price on another longshot to make the roster:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 1)

71. Wide receiver Darnell Jenkins: Like everyone on this end of the roster, Jenkins faces long odds. However, the 5-foot-10 and 191-pound Jenkins, who was signed to the practice squad last December, has a leg up on the undrafted and rookie free agents in the system because he’s been around since last winter, and does have more of a level of familiarity with the system than the first year players who got their first taste of the Patriots (and pro football in general) this past spring. The Miami product, who has bounced from Houston to Cleveland to Tampa Bay and New England since he entered the league in 2008 as an undrafted free agent with the Texans.

 

[jmt57]

Erik Scalavino from Patriots Football Weekly with Practice 6 Observations

* On a positive note, wide receiver Darnell Jenkins was in full pads for the first time this summer. He’d been present for the previous five practices, but only took part in rehab-type activities.

* Receivers and corners faced off in a new variation on an old one-on-one drill. Instead of having a ball thrown to them, however, the idea was to battle for position within the first 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Rookie free agent Buddy Farnham struggled to get open against Devin McCourty and Terrence Johnson on a couple of occasions, while Brandon Tate kept getting shoved wide out of bounds. Toward the end of the drill, future Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss was witnessed giving pointers to some of the younger defenders.

* When the two positions faced off in the next period, quarterback Tom Brady was throwing to the receivers and there were a few memorable moments. On one play, cornerback Leigh Bodden provided tight coverage on Moss, following him step-for-step down the left numbers. Brady’s pass was underthrown, perhaps intentionally, so Moss pivoted 180 degrees counterclockwise to haul in the ball, making it look frustratingly easy, despite Bodden’s valiant effort to bat the ball down.

* A few plays later, Brandon Tate ran a deep out-route versus McCourty. He made the catch, tip-toed to stay in bounds, then turned and ran upfield as McCourty trailed. The defense came back on the next play, when Brady went deep to rookie Taylor Price, who had gotten open on a fly route down the right numbers. But safety Brandon Meriweather closed quickly and knocked the ball away at the goal line at the last second.

* During 7-on-7 action … Moss caught a rare case of “alligator arms.” After getting open past Darius Butler, he was in perfect position to make a catch down the right sideline, but Chung was closing fast and Moss may have heard footsteps. He pulled his arms back and the ball hit his hands but fell to the ground. Later, Julian Edelman, in triple coverage, muscled the ball from safety Brandon McGowan as the two fell to the ground.

 

[jmt57]

More on Sam Aiken, this from Patriots Daily's Bruce Allen. Obviously written prior to Patten's retirement, but still relevant.

Roster Watch – Sam Aiken | Patriots Daily

In thinking about this, I began to wonder if the drafting of Devin McCourty could have an impact on Aiken’s roster spot. McCourty is known for his special teams skills, some of which might cross over with Aiken’s. With the uncertainty in the receiving corps, with Welker’s injury, Brandon Tate’s development, and Torry Holt’s acclimation to the system, there is a need to a receiver who can be counted on to be where he is supposed to be, and to catch the ball. If the Patriots feel McCourty can take Aiken’s spot on special teams, does this allow them to keep Patten as insurance? After all, in an offense that is based on the arm of Tom Brady, you’ve got to have reliable receivers, and if Welker is out to start the season, and Holt struggles to pick up the system, or is just done, like Galloway, and you’ve cut Patten, then Aiken could be thrust back into the receiving mix with the inexperienced trio of Edelman, Tate and Taylor Price.

That’s not something I want to see at this point. I think Aiken brings a lot to this football team, and whenever I’ve heard Bill Belichick talk about Aiken, he’s got high praise for him. They seem to like him down there, and I could very well see him on this team in 2010. In fact, I think he will be on this team. I just don’t know that it should be a lock that he is, and that there are factors that need to be considered when putting the final 53 man roster together.

 

[jmt57]

More from Allen, this on the entire WR position and each of the WRs in camp.

Postional Previews – Wide Receivers | Patriots Daily

On the offensive side of the ball, this position might be the most unpredictable. There is talent here, no question about it, but health (of the older receivers) and inexperience (of the younger receivers) make this position a tough one to gauge at this point. Offseason additions include veterans Torry Holt and old friend David Patten, and rookie Taylor Price.

Summary

If Moss and Welker can be healthy, they’re still the best 1-2 receiving combo in the league. Edelman and Holt figure to be big contributors as well, with Tate and Price learning the position and contributing here and there. This has the potential to be a very strong positional group on the roster, but like many others, there are a number of “ifs” and unknowns in play here. Having Welker to start the season would be huge.

 

[Sciz]

Patten will make it, Holt will not. Calling it now

yeah... about that...:bricks:

 

[BradyFTW!]

yeah... about that...:bricks:

Hey, I was right there with ya. There's wrong, and then there's the kind of wrong that practically demands drinking to :eat3:

 

[jmt57]

The Boston Herald's Ron Borges has a very positive outlook in his column, No fade pattern for Torry Holt, painting him as the anti-Galloway.

The Patriots are hopeful it will be a treat for them as well. When they tried something similar last season with Joey Galloway, it was a trick not a treat and the trick was on them. Galloway never bought into the Patriots’ way of doing things and quickly fell out of favor, first with Brady and soon after with Bill Belichick.

Regardess of what slippage there may be in Holt’s game from the days when he made 80 or more receptions eight straight seasons before dropping off to 64 in his last year with the Rams and a career-low 51 last season in Jacksonville, there are a few things the Patriots can be sure of when they look at Holt. Unlike Galloway, Torry Holt will be enthusiastic, he will be well prepared and he will be prideful.

“Naturally, as a player and a person, doubts come up when you don’t perform like you once did, but it’s something you can’t dwell on,” Holt said. “You set those thoughts aside quick and just work to improve yourself and the guys around you.

“I don’t have the 4.3 speed I had when I came out 12 years ago, but I have more patience and poise and I can dissect film of what defenses are trying to do. When Kurt (Warner) retired (after last season), I became like the (The Greatest Show on Turf’s) old soldier. There’s not a lot of guys left playing from that offense, but I’m still kicking it.”

On the other hand, Sports Illustrated's Don Banks thinks Holt may have difficulty making the team in his Postcard from Camp.

I suppose it speaks well of the Patriots improved receiving depth chart that a guy with more than 900 catches and 13,000 receiving yards in his career faces a potential fight for a roster spot, but that's where Torry Holt finds himself this summer. Holt, who signed with New England in April after spending 2009 with Jacksonville, may need the Patriots to keep six receivers in order to be safe. He's had a rough first few days in camp, and continued to struggle at times Saturday catching the ball.

Randy Moss and Wes Welker are givens, and second-year men Julian Edelman and Brandon Tate look like sure bets to make the roster. (Tate especially has sparkled early on.) That leaves Holt, 34, and third-round pick Taylor Price, who the Patriots liken to a young David Givens.

"I'm just working, man,'' Holt told me Saturday morning, when I asked him where he thinks he fits into the Patriots depth chart. "I'm excited to be on the football field having an opportunity to play again this year. I have to convince them that I'm even worthy of a role.

"I could get real ego-ish and say, 'Forget about it. I've done my thing. Check the record books.' Or I can take the approach I've always taken. I've always been humble and came in with the approach I've got to make the squad every year. I don't see it any different being here. I'm in a new organization. They don't know anything about me.''​

​

 

[Kontradiction]

At this point, I would have to think that if any of the big names on our WR staff get cut, it would probably be Torry Holt. I think we'll carry 6 true WR's, though, with the team keeping Aiken in a special teams capacity.

 

[jmt57]

Christopher Price of WEEI has the complete transcript of the Bill Belichick Q&A, 8/2; much of the talk was about the WR position.

I think both Alge (Crumpler) and Torry (Holt) have worked hard. They bring a good veteran presence to the team. They’re very professional. They work hard. They know their assignments. I think they’re a good example for the younger players, but at the same time they’re trying to learn an offense that other players, even some of our younger players, have more experience in than they do, just because it’s what we’ve done. I think they are coming along, but they’re in transition, too.



And certainly in Brandon (Tate)’s case, starting this season, his ability to retain and process information and route adjustments and things like that are on a much higher level than they were last year, when really all he could do was sit in meetings in training camp and for the early part of the season. So he’s way ahead from that standpoint. I think his physical conditioning and his ability are good. His individual techniques and route running and receiving skills have improved and his understanding of not only his position, but also offensive concepts, that’s way ahead of where it was last year.



Belichick also spoke in depth about the challenges of learning this offense for receivers.

 

[jmt57]

Another profile and roster ranking from WEEI's Christopher Price:

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 3)

57. Wide receiver Sam Aiken: With some new faces at wide receiver (Taylor Price, Patten and Torry Holt), last year’s special teams captain could face a difficult battle for playing time at receiver. A good locker room guy whose professionalism is never in question, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Aiken will be part of a really intriguing positional battle at wide receiver this summer.

 

[Reckedtrek]

I could see Holt or Aiken not making the final roster, but for different reasons. I went to the Sunday PM practice and the team is going to have to sneak Darnell Jenkins on the practice squad or use him as Part of a trade used as as added sweetening/trade bait in acquiring a pick(s) that could be in turn used to get a true OLB if they choose or need to go that way.

With Tate, Price, Holt and the new TE's, the day of relying on Aiken as a true WR are long gone. He better pray there's not enough good ST players on the roster if he's going to make the final cut.




Edit: Post edited with words in italics to say what I really meant because I messed up!

 

[jmt57]

Mike Rodak of espnBoston says Tate embracing challenge at WR

Head coach Bill Belichick pointed out the differences he has seen in Tate since last season.

“I think Brandon would be the first to tell you that his preparation for this season is way, way ahead of where it was last year,” Belichick said. “He still has to go out there and do it. … But where he is starting now and where he started even when he came back to the team in October, it’s a big gap.”

 

[mgteich]

rofl

So, Darnell Jenkins who has never caught a pass in the nfl will be used to a draft pick or two that can be used to secure a true OLB?

We'll have to "sneak" Darnell Jenkins on the Practice Squad?? or what?
==============

Darnell Jenkins may or may not be on our Practice Squad this year. There is little danger of someone picking him up on waivers to put on their 53 man squad. And BTW, losing him to another team would be no loss to the patriots.

I could see Holt or Aiken not making the final roster, but for different reasons. I went to the Sunday PM practice and the team is going to have to sneak Darnell Jenkins on the practice squad or use him as trade bait in acquiring a pick(s) that could be in turn used to get a true OLB if they choose or need to go that way.

With Tate, Price, Holt and the new TE's, the day of relying on Aiken as a true WR are long gone. He better pray there's not enough good ST players on the roster if he's going to make the final cut.

 

[jmt57]

WEEI's Christopher Price profiles Taylor Price

It Is What It Is Rating the Roster, Training Camp Edition (Part 3)

52. Wide receiver Taylor Price: This spring, more than one media member was reminded of David Givens while watching the 6-foot, 205-pound Price — a physical pass-catcher who still has good enough speed to operate on the outside. Wide receiver is a crowded position, so it won’t be easy for him to get a lot of reps (especially as a rookie), but what he’s done so far, he’s looked pretty good. “He has a good head on his shoulders and he knows what’s expected of him,” Ohio wide receivers coach Dwayne Dixon — who has coached several other NFL receivers as collegians — said of the 6-foot, 212-pound Price. “He wants to prove he can play at that level. I really believe it’s a great situation for him.”