Is WR a need if Gaffney does not sign???

[VJCPatriot]

I never said it has to be Gaffney who I like but would never consider paying a significant amount to keep.

A team that runs as many 3 WR sets as the Pats basically has 3 starting WRs. They have 2 great ones and a hole at the 3rd spot. None of the 4 other guys on the roster has proven they can fill it.

At the least I would anticipate them bringing in a veteran as competition for that spot.

Why not give Chad Jackson and Washington a chance to compete for the #3 job? If you clog up the positon with veterans, you'll never allow the youngsters to develop. I think that also plays into why the Patriots decided to let Stallworth go, and have yet to make an offer on Gaffney. If we can get a vet WR at the minimum salary, sure why not. Otherwise it's not a big priority.

Speaking of those 3 wide sets, perhaps it would be better for the Pats to move to a 2 te, 2 wr set to give Brady more protection. The Giants won the Superbowl by blitzing the hell out of Brady. And since this is a copycat league, you are just going to see even more of it in 2008.

 

[stcjones]

Even if Gaffney leaves, the Patriots will be okay with what they have. I would rather see the Pats concentrate on ILB and CB. Some WR will be cut between now and opening day that can picked up for the minimum or not much more. It would be nice to have DJ Hackett, but he would cost too much. Hey, the Pats can re-sign Reche Caldwell if they really feel they need another WR under contract!

Or David Givens....he was cut by Titans and is available.,....Heck, he knows the offense......

 

[stcjones]

I hope Gaffney is back. He was an underrated performer.

Either way, it is put up or shut up time for Jackson, he has to start contributing, even if it in a reserve/ST role. I'm not blaming the kid for getting hurt, which obviously set him back, but you are only on scholarship for so long. Potential alone can't carry you beyond your 3rd season.

I honestly doubt you will see Jackson do much in reality.....Ideally he can come in and give us that stretch the field/speed route that Donte provided..........but the more I think of the guy, and the injuries that he sustained.......I don't see him providing much......Eitber was this is time.......If they re-sign Gaffney.....Jackson could be gone by end of training camp......

 

[Ring 6]

With Moss and Welker, the rest of the receiving corps will be guys who either take great advantage from being on the field with them (no one did last year and we were the best offense ever) or who get a bone tossed to them every now and then.
In other words, having additional good WRs is a bonus, but not a necessity. Having COMPETANT guys who can just do there job adequately and have Brady get them the ball, is plenty. Having guys in those spots with upside is even better.
I dont see Gaffney coming back. He is a competant guy, who has been made to look better than that by Tom Brady. Teams that practice the habit of dreaming about how good this guy or that guy could be (and there are a lot of them) will look at Gaffneys production and say he did that WITH MOss, Welker, Stallworth and Watson at TE. Imagine what he could do if he were a #2 and got those chances. (Jets sign future hall of famer Justin McCariens comes to mind).
I want the NEXT Gaffney, not the one whose price was driven up by playing with Tom Brady.
I also think that Chad Jackson should be the #3 receiver in 2008. Before all the Anti-Chads freak out, I recognize there is uncertainty about what he can do. But with Moss and Welker on the roster, there isn't a ton of risk here. Sure we can sign a vet, as I said the next Gaffney. But we dont go from the best offense ever to mediocre because Jackson, Washington and a jag to be named later replace the small portion of the offense that Stallworth and Gaffney provided.

I think we do need another WR. I think Gaffney would be perfect, but I do not think his price tag will be worth it. Lets get CHEAP insurance so if Chad Jackson flakes out, and Washington cannot cut it, we have someone new and cheap for Tom Brady to make look good.
There are tons and tons of Reche Caldwells and Jabar Gaffneys, or David Pattens or David Givens out there for Brady to make look good, and then have them move on to somewhere else and not contribute much. Lets get the cheap version. We will have more money to spend on defense.

 

[BradyFTW!]

I'd hesitate to pay Gaffney much more than the minimum. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy- I just think that, before the season starts, they'll be able to get 80+% of his production for next to nothing. Pretty much any receiver can look as good as Gaffney looks when Brady is throwing to him.

 

[Wotan_the_Wanderer]

There are tons and tons of Reche Caldwells and Jabar Gaffneys, or David Pattens or David Givens out there for Brady to make look good, and then have them move on to somewhere else and not contribute much. Lets get the cheap version. We will have more money to spend on defense.

In addition to sleeper WR rookies, I also expect a few vet min. guys to be brought in for preseason. Hell, it would also not surprise me in the least if the Pats signed Peerless Price to a minimal contract loaded with incentives. There will also be more vet FA WRs available after cut down date so I really don't see a reason to force a Gaffney signing for the sake of signing the guy if the two sides are even remotely apart. And indeed, it should be a take it or leave it approach to sign such depth guys.

 

[Lampshade]

I fully expect Gaffney to re-sign.

But if not, as much faith as I have in Jackson stepping up with a healthy training camp + pre-season, I would definitely feel more comfortable with another receiver. I'm not fond of the idea of being an injury away from Washington or Aiken as starter.

I wonder how much they soured on Javon Walker because of last years business.

 

[hwc]

There are tons and tons of Reche Caldwells and Jabar Gaffneys, or David Pattens or David Givens out there for Brady to make look good, and then have them move on to somewhere else and not contribute much. Lets get the cheap version. We will have more money to spend on defense.

Andy:

I pretty much agree with your entire post. The key to successfully managing the salary cap is to understand when "just a guy" will do and then only paying for "just a guy".

The Pats have just committed major dollars to their top two wide receivers (who lead the league in TDs and receptions last year, respectively). They will need to make do with "just a guy" for their third and fourth receivers.

 

[RayClay]

I totally think Gaffney is made by Brady. He's an extra receiver that comes in and finds the gaps created by the defense paying so much attention to our offensive weapons. Before Moss and Welker, Gaffney was having a lot of trouble getting downfield. Brady was making perfect throws to him but he didn't have enough coordination to align his body in position to make the catch.

That being said, he is a heady guy who has a knack for finding open spaces down near the end zone. He reminds me a little bit--in that respect--to Troy Brown.


Really, I don't want to see him on the opposite side of Moss, but I'd like to bring him back as a depth guy.

He's worth $2 million a year.

Huh??? He had 21 receptions in three playoff games in 2006.

 

[bradmahn]

Huh??? He had 21 receptions in three playoff games in 2006.

He had one reception over 20 yards and averaged 11.6 y/c. Is that downfield to you?

 

[RayClay]

Andy:

I pretty much agree with your entire post. The key to successfully managing the salary cap is to understand when "just a guy" will do and then only paying for "just a guy".

The Pats have just committed major dollars to their top two wide receivers (who lead the league in TDs and receptions last year, respectively). They will need to make do with "just a guy" for their third and fourth receivers.

I'd much rather keep Gaffney, but he's only worth so much. If he over prices himself, another smart receiver will do.

Plus, if one or both of Jackson and Washington step up,we could be OK.

Of course, that's for down the road, we do need one more reliable receiver.

 

[Ring 6]

Andy:

I pretty much agree with your entire post. The key to successfully managing the salary cap is to understand when "just a guy" will do and then only paying for "just a guy".

The Pats have just committed major dollars to their top two wide receivers (who lead the league in TDs and receptions last year, respectively). They will need to make do with "just a guy" for their third and fourth receivers.

I dont think Chad Jackson is just another guy. He may turn out to be useless, but he has the potential to be very good. Whats the real risk?
Gaffney is exactly a jag. He is our jag, but he is a jag, and he happens to be a jag who played in the Brady, Moss, Welker offense, so he commands more money.
Find a jag who will produce like Gaffney while he was here, but will be paid like Gaffney before he got here. Thats basically my point.

If Jabar Gaffney never signed with the Patriots, he would be an afterthought FA. He is still the same guy, but today he is the guy AFTER producing better than a jag, becasue he was on this team with this QB. I say the budget can better afford the jag no one knows yet.

 

[thechris]

This might be a crazy idea but if Gaffney signs elsewhere, I think the Pats should try to get Matt Jones from the Jags. They just signed two new receivers and Jones is permanently in Del Rio's doghouse anyway.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

I hate the Chad love some have, but let's not bury him just yet. I was impressed with what few chances he has had in NE. He has yet to show signs of failure. He's just been hurt.

This might be a crazy idea but if Gaffney signs elsewhere, I think the Pats should try to get Matt Jones from the Jags. They just signed two new receivers and Jones is permanently in Del Rio's doghouse anyway.

That is crazy. NE needs a guy who can run good routes and catch the ball consistently. They do not need Matt Jones.

 

[bostonia3333]

I agree with Sean, we do need another possession player besides Welker, but it doesn't necessarily need to come from the wideout position. What we keep ignoring is how pathetic our TE's have been. I give them a D for their 2007 performance.

Ben Watson has been a disappointment and had problems getting open. Even if he was open after a catch, he never seemed to do anything but slip or fall down. Hopefully Dave Thomas can recover well from that injury and be somewhat of a presence. We NEED some decent, not allworld tight end play to take some pressure off of the receivers. Wes Welker will end up like Troy Aikman if he keeps catching 120 balls a year from now on.

 

[ATippett56]

I agree with Sean, we do need another possession player besides Welker.

Amongst the lesser wide receivers still available:

D.J. Hackett
Jabar Gaffney
Marty Booker

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/nfl/freeagentsWR.html

Dare I say bring back David Patten!

 

[dhamz]

Why not give Chad Jackson and Washington a chance to compete for the #3 job? If you clog up the positon with veterans, you'll never allow the youngsters to develop.

I don't think anyone expects them to bring in a high priced guy. If Jackson or Washington can't beat out low priced veteran WRs (guys like Gaffney) then simply it is because they aren't good enough.

Speaking of those 3 wide sets, perhaps it would be better for the Pats to move to a 2 te, 2 wr set to give Brady more protection. The Giants won the Superbowl by blitzing the hell out of Brady. And since this is a copycat league, you are just going to see even more of it in 2008.

The Giants did not blitz the hell out of Brady. They mostly came with 4 guys (think I read 70%+ of the time) who destroyed the 5 and 6 guys the Pats had blocking them. In particular, Logan Mankins who was considered by most to have been the best G in football got destroyed by Justin Tuck and some guy named Alford no one ever heard of before Super Sunday. It is not going to be easy to copy that.

Going away from 3 WR sets is going to voluntarily take away the best slot WR in the league. Welker will either need to come off the field or go outside where he isn't as good. While the Pats will continue to play multiple formations based on match-ups, I doubt the Pats will go away from 3 WR consistently.

 

[jeffbiologist]

I think you have to have more good recievers here especially if we play 3wr sets so often. And there has to be a health concern with Welker, he is just a little guy who takes alot of hits by LBs. We need 4 decent recievers figuring at least 1 hammy is gonna blow out. I will put CJ in there, but not Washington. A late round draft pick that could return kicks,play ST and add depth could easily replace Gaffney. That said, I dont particularly want to use a pick higher than a 5th...

 

[satz]

Purely from a Cap point one cannot load up 1 position with non rookie contracts.

With moss signing

Moss ,Wes , Kelly are all on non rookie contract to offset this 2 or 3 backups got to be cheap veterans or rookies.

how about C.J.Jones he was good in KR,pR and we signed a PR,KR from buffola so between them they can rest Wes. also they we can dress 6 WR including chad for a game as we have 3 who can play special team and offer depth.kelvin kight is their too i see we develop another low round draft pick for the future and cap.,

 

[Patjew]

Amongst the lesser wide receivers still available:

D.J. Hackett
Jabar Gaffney
Marty Booker

http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/nfl/freeagentsWR.html

Dare I say bring back David Patten!

There is no way they bring back David Pattten.

Put me in the camp of Pats are OK signing JAB or a cheap JAG for what is at best the # 3 WR position. This is a team with 2 dominant WRs, strong catching TEs and RBs, and Chad Jackson waiting in the wings. There are only so many balls to go around, I too think they should save the $ for D.