We Do Not Need Any More Receivers

[stcjones]

The Patriots offense made a lot of progress this season and I expect it to continue in 2007. The offense isn't the problem. The defense needs to get a bit younger at LB and at safety/CB. These are not monumental issues. WR is DEFINITELY not.

Well the offense or lack thereof in the 2nd half was the main PROBLEM in the AFCC game against the dolts.....wasn't it? IMHO...WR is a definite need.....appreciate your viewpoint however

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I believe the Pats bring in a FA like Drew Bennet who would be a solid addition and a draft choice. Granted, Caldwell and Gaffney made some great catches in the playoffs, but they are inconsistant.

 

[Kdo5]

I believe the Pats bring in a FA like Drew Bennet who would be a solid addition and a draft choice. Granted, Caldwell and Gaffney made some great catches in the playoffs, but they are inconsistant.

Caldwell wasnt that inconsistent. He had a few games in the middle in which you wondered if he was even playing. 1 catch against the Colts or 1 against the Dolphins, but he was fairly consistent in the second half of the season. Gaffney wasnt consistent in the regular season because he really never had any special games to begin with.

 

[ATippett56]

I believe the Pats bring in a FA like Drew Bennet who would be a solid addition and a draft choice.

I don't because Drew Bennett will ask for more money than David Givens.

 

[HEY BRO! WHAT UP?]

I don't because Drew Bennett will ask for more money than David Givens.

I would be very suprised if indeed he did ask for more money.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Hey Archives, I just realized that Kight actually rhymes with TIGHT. I don't think there's any doubt about this guy now.

PFnV

 

[ATippett56]

I would be very suprised if indeed he did ask for more money.

Look at the career stats of the individual players:

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/245091

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/302029

 

[mgteich]

Yup.

Sure, Caldwell played better than Branch this year. And Gaffney may have played better than Givens. The problem is that Caldwell and Gaffney didn't play better than Branch and Givens did during our Super Bowl runs.

We don't need more WRs, we just need better ones than the 5 we had.

 

[Kdo5]

Look at the career stats of the individual players:

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/245091

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/302029

Neither Bennet's nor Givens stats are stunning.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't think we need to anything drastic to our WR corp, but we do need an upgrade.

Mark my words. One player the Pats will go after is Kevin Curtis. He has the potential to be everything Deion Branch was and more. He is small (which is important for the routes the Pats like to run and rumored to be why Gabriel didn't fit in), extremely fast, intelligent (has the highest Wonderlic score of any active player), runs great routes, is freakishly strong, and has amazing leaping ability. The guy was breaking out in Mike Martz's offense (where the routes aren't all that different from ours), but just didn't fit into Linehan's stretch the field type of offense.

Mike Martz was high on this guy. Belichick and Martz are friends. Martz probably would love to have him, but cannot offer him the potential for a starting job with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey on the Lions. He might pass the intel onto Belichick to make sure he gets out of the conference especially with several teams in his division looking for an upgrade at WR.

 

[mgteich]

I have no doubt that if we had two receivers in the game that Brady could have trusted with 3:30 to go, he would have tried a couple of passes, and we would have been in the SB. Faulk was hurt, or he might have tried it with Brown and Faulk. Clearly, he didn't trust Gaffney and Caldwell in crunch time.

I'm sure he'll trust them more after another season.

Is that really the issue? I don't think so. IMHO, the quality of receivers was our #1, #2 and #3 weakness during 2006. Yes, I agree that cb and lb could be as important ineeds in 2007 because of potential losses of Samuel and Seau or Bruschi.

 

[notex]

Receiver is not an area of need for this team. We almost reached the Superbowl with what we had, and came up short in that game mostly due to a tanked/injured defense, a missed Caldwell catch, and two bad penalties (Troy Brown PI and Ellis Hobbs PI). We can win with our receivers, and they are not as big a liability as people here seem to think.

Among our receivers...Reche Caldwell out-performed Branch this year. Jabar Gaffney came in and immediately produced for us. Chad Jackson, as his HS and college history have shown, always comes back strong in his second year after learning a new system. We still have Troy as well.

We have stacked our offense with talent over the past two years, and they just need an off-season to gel. Our primary needs this year in free agency and the draft, in order of importance, are:
- Inside Linebacker: a run-stuffer who can also cover tight ends
- Safety: a Rodney replacement
- Cornerback: only if Asante isn't coming back
- Get Josh McDaniels in the film room and have him scout his own tendencies and faults

i dissagree...i mean theres not much to say, brady would be better with better receivers, that doesnt mean we need to add any necesarily but we need a better performance next year

 

[Rob0729]

I believe the Pats bring in a FA like Drew Bennet who would be a solid addition and a draft choice. Granted, Caldwell and Gaffney made some great catches in the playoffs, but they are inconsistant.

Bennett is probably too tall for our system. Rarely has a WR over 6 feet done much in the Pats' offense. Their routes seemed to be better suited for quick, not fast small guys who can get open quickly. I don't know if that is Bennett.

 

[ATippett56]

Neither Bennet's nor Givens stats are stunning.

Which makes you wonder why the Titans overpaid for Givens last year at 5 years/$24 million?

 

[Kdo5]

Yup.

Sure, Caldwell played better than Branch this year. And Gaffney may have played better than Givens. The problem is that Caldwell and Gaffney didn't play better than Branch and Givens did during our Super Bowl runs.

Gaffney played great in the playoffs but he indeed didnt do much in the regular season.

And 2006, Caldwell had more receptions than Deion did in 2003(57) or 2004(35, injured for a while however.) Givens in 2003(31), 2004(56). Caldwell in 2006(61).

Gaffney played just as good if not better than Givens did in any of the Pats playoffs. Ofcourse Branch was superb in the playoffs. Givens in his Patriot years were no better than Caldwell's in 2006. So if we are talking the regular seasons in our Superbowl years(2003-2004), Caldwell had more receptions this year than either of them did in the Superbowl years. Branch had no more TD's than Caldwell in those years.

 

[mgteich]

QUESTION
Would would rather have had Branch and Givens playing for the patriots in the playoffs, or Caldwell and Gaffney? Is it close for anyone?

I am not questioning any FO decision, just stating what I think is obvious. We would have been more likely to be in the SB if we had better receivers.

Gaffney played great in the playoffs but he indeed didnt do much in the regular season.

And 2006, Caldwell had more receptions than Deion did in 2003(57) or 2004(35, injured for a while however.) Givens in 2003(31), 2004(56). Caldwell in 2006(61).

Gaffney played just as good if not better than Givens did in any of the Pats playoffs. Ofcourse Branch was superb in the playoffs. Givens in his Patriot years were no better than Caldwell's in 2006. So if we are talking the regular seasons in our Superbowl years(2003-2004), Caldwell had more receptions this year than either of them did in the Superbowl years. Branch had no more TD's than Caldwell in those years.

 

[upstater1]

QUESTION
Would would rather have had Branch and Givens playing for the patriots in the playoffs, or Caldwell and Gaffney? Is it close for anyone?

I am not questioning any FO decision, just stating what I think is obvious. We would have been more likely to be in the SB if we had better receivers.

Without a doubt. As I said earlier, I'm not looking for a superstar. I just want defense's to stop breathing on Brady's neck.

Someone mentioned that McDaniels' schemes were the problem. I don't discount that, especially against the Colts. But I'll also note that McDaniels was the OC when Brady threw for 4100 yards in 2005, and our receivers were Branch and Givens.

Of course we couldn't run the ball last year with a hurt Dillon, but that's another story.

 

[DaBruinz]

Aren't you guys tired of Brady having to make lemonade out of lemons? We b*tch that Brady has never had the surrounding cast that Manning's had, yet we want to continue with Gaffney & Caldwell? Let's get this guy a top flight receiver already for crying out loud!

And just who do you suggest we go out and get, oh intelligent one?

The Pats drafted the top rated receiver last year. They also added 2 TEs and a top notch RB and an OT who, before his injury, many had pegged as late 1st round talent.

So, while people have been quick to point out that Brady hasn't had the supporting cast that Manning has, you can't say that the Patriots haven't attempted to put the players there.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

+1 I completely agree.

Tom Brady didn't look good this year. Not in the playoffs either. I blame the WRs for that. Even at the end of the year we looked bad. Against the Chargers, nada. Against the Colts, sucky. We need a wideout that will allow Caldwell and Gaffney to take on their natural roles as #2/3 receivers.

Letting David Givens go was a good decision. I can't blame the Patriots for the Branch fiasco, but if he was on the team, I'm 99% certain Brady would be getting fitted for his 4th ring.

Do we absolutely need a WR to win? No. But I think the lack of a #1 is definitely a reason we didn't win this year.

Bingo - because when our defense was gassed and they were stuffing our primary backs because the could and Faulk was unavailable as well our offense couldn't cover their aching backs because we were unable to pick up a stinking 3rd and 4 going somewhat predictably to our most reliable WR who also just happens to be an aging 4th or 5th option on most contending teams. Nor could we get in the EZ when we should have, settling instead for FG's that kept Manning and Co. in the game.

There's an old saying - just because you get away with something doesn't make it right. That's the way I see our 2006 WR's - as something a Brady and Belichick team can probably get away with now and again, but not with the kind of consistency that you'd want to make a habit of it. I doubt Bill intends to.

 

[mgteich]

There is no question that the FO did all they could for the offense in the draft. After the draft, bb suggested that "Brady better win now". The FO did what they could in the off-season. In the end, they came up short.

And just who do you suggest we go out and get, oh intelligent one?

The Pats drafted the top rated receiver last year. They also added 2 TEs and a top notch RB and an OT who, before his injury, many had pegged as late 1st round talent.

So, while people have been quick to point out that Brady hasn't had the supporting cast that Manning has, you can't say that the Patriots haven't attempted to put the players there.