Reiss - NE has the highest rate of WR non separation in the NFL

[203Pat]

Why does this forum always insist that better players would not be able to get the system? Can anyone name me one WR in the BB era who was a complete bust for the Patriots, but went on to have a good career with someone else? Just one. Using the E-P as an excuse is just that - an excuse. Good WRs fit in this offense because they’re actually good football players. Stiffs can’t fit in this offense because they’re stiffs.

I feel like I have said this 100 times. Josh Boyce, Aaron Dobson, Chad Jackson, Taylor Price. These guys aren't getting fitted for a gold jacket any time soon.

 

[PatsDeb]

Tell us something we don't know...

 

[Ladypatsfan]

The articles and videos trying to call out open receivers who were missed. They forget how Brady didn't look great with the same receivers.

.

It doesn't matter. Brady was old. Cam is not. Therefore it was Brady's fault and it's not Cam's fault. Whoever is coaching these Wrs has a lot to answer for.

 

[borg]

I haven't seen much bashing of Cam even for how poorly he played the last two games.

Flash poll:

At this very moment, is Cam......

A) Studying the Patriots playbook
B) Picking out his Sunday post-game outfit
C) Making dinner reservations for he and Gilmore
D) Wondering where Ray Lewis purchased his killer cream colored suit and mink coat
E) Multitasking all of the above

 

[libra957]

i won't rush into any assessment until the sample size for this season is greater. Nobody talked about seperation when we played the seahawks.

 

[DropKickFlutie]

There are a very limited number of high draft picks available each year - much less than the number of positions there are on a roster. It appears that the Patriots have chosen to devote those early draft picks on other positions, and utilize free agency and trades to fill their roster at WR.

When the Pats do use draft capital on a wide receiver it is more likely to be trading a draft pick for a veteran wide receiver.

For example, 2018 rankings of Pats top receiving yards:
1.) 7th round pick - slot - Edelman
2.) 4th round pick - RB - James White
3.) trade (5th round pick) - WR - Josh Gordon
4.) 2nd round pick - TE - Gronk
5.) free agent ($4mil/yr) - WR - Chris Hogan
6.) trade (player) - WR - Phillip Dorsett
7.) trade (5th round pick) - WR - Cordarrelle Patterson

2017 rankings:
1.) 2nd round pick - TE - Gronk
2.) trade (1st round pick) - WR - Brandin Cooks
3.) free agent ($4mil/yr) - slot - Danny Amendola
4.) free agent ($4mil/yr) - WR - Chris Hogan
5.) 4th round pick - RB - James White
6.) free agent ($3mil/yr) - RB - Rex Burkhead

2016 rankings:
1.) 7th round pick - slot - Edelman
2.) trade (4th round pick) - TE - Marty Bennett
3.) free agent ($4mil/yr) - WR - Chris Hogan
4.) 4th round pick - RB - James White
5.) 2nd round pick - TE - Gronk
6.) 4th round pick - WR - Malcolm Mitchell

2015 rankings:
1.) 2nd round pick - TE - Gronk
2.) 7th round pick - slot - Edelman
3.) free agent ($4mil/yr) - WR - Danny Amendola
4.) free agent ($3mil/yr) - WR - Brandon LaFell
5.) 4th round pick - RB - James White
6.) free agent ($1.1mil/yr) - RB - Dion Lewis

2014 rankings:
1.) 2nd round pick - TE - Gronk
2.) 7th round pick - slot - Edelman
3.) free agent ($3mil/yr) - WR - Brandon LaFell
4.) 2nd round pick - RB - Shane Vereen
5.) trade (player) - TE - Tim Wright
6.) ) free agent ($4mil/yr) - WR - Danny Amendola

Prior to drafting Harry, the last time the Pats drafted a WR was in 2016 with Malcolm Mitchell - in the 4th round, 112th overall. He was on his way to being a productive player before injury prematurely ended his pro football career, so I'm hesitant to call him a bad pick; more of a case of bad luck rather than bad scouting. Harry and Mitchell are the only wide receivers the Pats have drafted in rounds 1-6 over the course of the last seven drafts.

The Patriots simply appear to prefer to build their roster at the wide receiver position through other available means. There is a finite number of draft picks; a team cannot fill a roster strictly via the draft and undrafted rookie free agents.

Excellent excellent post. We've had to use FA and trades for WR since we are terrible at drafting outside of O'Brien's tenure getting Gronk, Edelman, Hernandez. I wonder if our crappy WR drafting and also poor DB drafting is related to this article. I still have nightmares thinking about how bad those 04, 05, and 06 drafts were, and now from 2012-present:

"When McDaniels and Caserio were tasked [in 2003] with scouting New England's opposing receivers and corners, they took it further, creating a formula for size, speed, ball skills, scheme and assignments. Then they developed a ranking system based on the Patriots' personnel and playbook. Impressed, Belichick ditched his manual for scouting receivers and corners, replacing it with what he'd learned."

IT TAKES A GENIUS

A LOT OF NFL OWNERS LIKE TO PLUCK BRANCHES OFF BILL BELICHICK'S COACHING TREE. IF ONLY HIS SAPLINGS GREW SO MIGHTY.

www.espn.com

 

[FearNo.1]

i won't rush into any assessment until the sample size for this season is greater. Nobody talked about seperation when we played the seahawks.

To be fair Cam was dropping dimes into extremely tight windows. It's not like the WRs were running free or away from coverage.

At this point the running game needs to come alive every game. Cam can't be asked to be the leading rusher and shoulder the entire passing game (every throw on the money into tight windows) they can get by in some games but that's not a good recipe for success. One of the reasons Cam struggled at times in Carolina was because he had to do all of the above. Every game. Every season. Only difference is his Olines in Carolina were still so much worse than the Oline the Pats fielded Sunday, and that is basically the only strength on offense so when those guys are missing time and the run game struggles this offense isnt going to look great. Cam is throwing to a bunch of hopefuls and a 35 year old Edleman....I mean it is what it is

 

[FCB02062]

The Patriots won a Super Bowl with 32 year old Edelman, Coradarelle Patterson (who caught mostly sideways passes), Dorsett, High as a Kite Gordon, and 31 year old Hogan. Were those guys separation stalwarts? I doubt it. Until Newton can throw a pass to an open guy 8 yards down the field this team is going ****ing nowhere. I was on the Newton hype train after weeks 1 and 2...but he has ****ing sucked his last 2 games, and that's putting it mildly

 

[Patriot Missile]

 

[DropKickFlutie]

The Patriots won a Super Bowl with 32 year old Edelman, Coradarelle Patterson (who caught mostly sideways passes), Dorsett, High as a Kite Gordon, and 31 year old Hogan. Were those guys separation stalwarts? I doubt it. Until Newton can throw a pass to an open guy 8 yards down the field this team is going ****ing nowhere. I was on the Newton hype train after weeks 1 and 2...but he has ****ing sucked his last 2 games, and that's putting it mildly

All it took was a Superbowl defensive record for fewest points allowed....


.

 

[NashuaPats]

Wouldn’t it be a great demonstration of redemption and forgiveness to bring this guy back.
It would be a wonderful lesson for the children.

 

[Betterthanmost]

Wouldn’t it be a great demonstration of redemption and forgiveness to bring this guy back.
It would be a wonderful lesson for the children.View attachment 29044

Absolutely, it is all about the kids, what better story can the NFL and the Patriots tell? from Riches to rags for both parties, forgiveness, sympathy and empathy, you name, it has it all. Baby daddy issues, I can't stop..

 

[Kontradiction]

Wouldn’t it be a great demonstration of redemption and forgiveness to bring this guy back.
It would be a wonderful lesson for the children.View attachment 29044

Can’t. Our WRs are required by Kraft to respect women on Twitter. We’ll call them the League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

 

[Ring 6]

Such a departure for him. Never made excuses during spygate, deflategate, or when we had injury riddled years or got hosed by the refs or last year when half the team was sick with the flu vs Houston. It is starting to feel like the Patriot Way was really the Brady Way. What is tough is if we struggle offensively on Sunday which could happen against a very good niner defense then what will the excuse be?

He isn’t making excuses. Football teams practice for a reason.

 

[Ring 6]

Wouldn’t it be a great demonstration of redemption and forgiveness to bring this guy back.
It would be a wonderful lesson for the children.View attachment 29044

You want to teach kids that being a crazy ass scumbag who treats people like crap results in everything working out?

 

[patman12]

Wouldn’t it be a great demonstration of redemption and forgiveness to bring this guy back.
It would be a wonderful lesson for the children.View attachment 29044

Even AB isn’t crazy enough to join this offense.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Blame goes squarely on BB as he knew the WR/TE's were the worst in the NFL in separation dating back to last year which I've repeated many times with crickets. His GOAT QB was struggling badly so you think BB would address this in the off season? Nope.

Can't blame Edelman, Harry, Byrd, Izzo, etc. as this is what BB wanted to roll out with. He had another chance in this draft to hedge his bets with Harry in a deep WR class, but doubled down ignoring this glaring need on Offense.

 

[TheRainMaker]

High as a Kite Gordon

He quit on the team mid way through the season.

 

[sb1]

Such a departure for him. Never made excuses during spygate

In that particular case it’s probably because he got caught cheating and it was all on him. What else could he say?

But it was interesting to see him be vocal about it. Maybe it was more a message to the league who knows.

 

[Brotherblues]

I haven't seen much bashing of Cam even for how poorly he played the last two games.

You just need to point out a weakness in his game that you see on film and it's immediately called bashing or perpetuating a narrative.