Why can't we draft receivers?

[JohnJH]

Scarry to think we could have had A.J. Brown and Deebo in the same Draft instead of the two flameouts we Drafted. But I'm not one to bring up our past.

Here's a wild scenario: In the same draft they get Metcalf and Brown, or Metcalf and Samuel, or Brown and Samuel. Then, the draft the year after they add Higgins, if not Higgins and Pittman Jr. They could have done it. Imagine what their WR corps would look like now! And that's even having to let one or two go due to the cap. Having back to back drafts to acquire such talent at the WR position would have been incredible, and doable.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Thanks for the explanation. I'll simply put it this way either the WR can play or he can't at the NFL level. That's really the only facet to understand. Guys that are good in this league make all the difference for an offense. We've had some great ones Gronk, Jules. Branch, brown, Amendola, all those guys were good in thier roles for the Patriots offense.

The problem is that because there is no minor league system to develop through it is either a sink or swim proposition, and there is no way of really knowing who will be great and who won’t. And even after they make it players can literally go from All Pro to all done overnight, as witnessed by Antonio Brown and Carson went, or the running back from Norte Dame who came on to the Patriots roster, put up up over 200 yards against the Colts, made the cover of Sports illustrated only to disappear forever. In other sports there is a level of professional play below the top league where players can move up and down from to adjust or fail to adjust to that next level, in football there is a widely disparate system where a guy can be great at Division 2, and become a great pro, or a guy can star at Alabama or Michigan, and then flame out in the Pro’s, and figuring out who will do what is damn near impossible. I believe Belichick had Ernie Adams trying to solve this problem for his entire career, and they still couldn’t get it completely right.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Tee Higgins would be my first choice for a FA WR. Even so, adding a stud addition through the draft/drafts (along with continued improvement of "Pops"), would be a serious step in the right direction. If we do those things, and get unload JuJu, than keep him for one more season to see if he can contribute with all of the aforementioned having been done.

I would agree, but if Cincy can’t keep him there will be a bidding war for him.

 

[Steve102]

And I will add, BB does not, or appears to not value the position to a high degree in general... Kinda treats it as a plug and play running back... To some extent it's true, but not so much when you want/need an elite pass catcher... Skill and drive matters at the wr position at an elite level much moreso than the RB position

I think this is true on that side of the ball as a whole. See below.

What's frustrating is that Belichick seems to know IN LATER ROUNDS that mental qualities like route running, faking DBs out, matter more than physical skills. He'll even SIGN AND TRADE FOR those kinds of guys! (IE: Welker, Amendola, et al.)

But in rounds 1 and 2, he becomes a typical 'draft expert'. "He big? He fast? Mmm, good receiver, make draft!" Chad Jackson, N'Keal Harry, Bethel Johnson, the list goes on and on. Almost the same with his defensive back picks, too. It's bizarre.

I think the late round guys come in and know they have to work, IE Brady and the chip on his shoulder. Your statement of going to get the late round guys like Wes and Danny follows that pattern. I think he has a disdain for skill guys that are high round picks and the level of entitlement that comes with those players. As long as Randy Moss was the hardest working WR here, he was great. The moment Randy started *****ing and complaining, adios. I think Bill would much rather draft a lineman high because they get no glory and are, by design, team first players. The line guys get no glory. He likes guys that shut up, come in and do their job.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

The only real good WR acquisitions we’ve had in the last 5 years are Meyers, Bourne, and now Douglas. One was an ufa, one was a 6th rounder, and one was a low level FA

 

[RIpats88]

Look at Parker and Juju's production over the last few games with Zappe throwing to them. Amazingly, they are suddenly pretty good wr's. Really strange how that works. If your qb sucks ass your wr's production sucks. Blame Bill all you want for Mac Jones, whether or not Kraft made him play, or if he felt this team wasn't a championship contender and he wanted to make absolutely sure Mac wasn't good, ie it takes 3 years to really evaluate a qb, we will never really know. But, we know it now. As far as expending draft capital on wr's, they are more of a crap shoot than any other position on the field. And the Patriots won for decades with a combination of Brady, trading for established wr's, and other positions receiving, along with a few late round finds.

juju is on ir and ended the season with 260 yards. unfortunately his knee is cooked imo

 

[Real fan 02]

juju is on ir and ended the season with 260 yards. unfortunately his knee is cooked imo

And I don't even think Parker has a TD..

 

[RIpats88]

If WR’s have the worst success rate in the draft then taking them early isn’t smart.

People keep mentioning N’Keal, like if they whine about it enough they can undue the pick.

I didn’t want a WR #1 that year… or ever. And the only reason I think BB reached for one in 2019 was his vet QB was grousing about weapons.

They got Jakobi Meyers as an IDFA that year, now the same people complaining BB gave Brady terrible weapons like Meyers in 2019 are moaning that BB didn’t sign Meyers instead of Juju.

brady had a horrible receiving core that year and left partly because of it.

 

[Real fan 02]

brady had a horrible receiving core that year and left partly because of it.

I believe he grew weary especially as tenured and success he was coming off a superbowl.. of the team just fnn with the WR corps gronk,hernandez, Wes, moss, Jules, Amendola, hogan,branch. When he hasn't had those guys it's looked bad at WR.

 

[RIpats88]

I believe he grew weary especially as tenured and success he was coming off a superbowl.. of the team just fnn with the WR corps gronk,hernandez, Wes, moss, Jules, Amendola, hogan,branch. When he hasn't had those guys it's looked bad at WR.

fans here like to pretend brady had no weapons and that is why we don't need them. but brady's best seasons were when he had elite talent.

and i dont want to hear about 20 years ago. that was a different NFL

 

[Real fan 02]

fans here like to pretend brady had no weapons and that is why we don't need them. but brady's best seasons were when he had elite talent.

and i dont want to hear about 20 years ago. that was a different NFL

Absolutely factual!! He broke records with moss and Welker, was a 400 yard a game passer with gronk, hernandez for example.

 

[RIpats88]

Absolutely factual!! He broke records with moss and Welker, was a 400 yard a game passer with gronk, hernandez for example.

Threw 25tds in 2019 followed by 40 in 2020 throwing to Evans, Godwin, Gronk, brown.

Fans like to play semantics that we had no #1 receiver when we had Gronkowski. He was a tight end but provides the same benefit to the offense.

We haven't been able to replace his production.

 

[Keyser Söze]

I really wish they dumbed down the offensive scheme. No reason for it to as complicated as it’s been reported to be.

 

[Real fan 02]

Threw 25tds in 2019 followed by 40 in 2020 throwing to Evans, Godwin, Gronk, brown.

Fans like to play semantics that we had no #1 receiver when we had Gronkowski. He was a tight end but provides the same benefit to the offense.

We haven't been able to replace his production.

Boy what a revelation for 25 TDs this season huh.

 

[Real fan 02]

I really wish they dumbed down the offensive scheme. No reason for it to as complicated as it’s been reported to be.

When they supposedly did it last season with Joe and matt.. it was awful. However better than this season

 

[Jim Beankie]

I am still convinced that DD is a TB80 pick. If he makes it past Black Monday, let him make the WR picks.

(Covering my ears about the poor WR play this past game.)

 

[PatsFan2]

I am still convinced that DD is a TB80 pick. If he makes it past Black Monday, let him make the WR picks.

(Covering my ears about the poor WR play this past game.)

J/k

 

[PatsFan2]

I am still convinced that DD is a TB80 pick. If he makes it past Black Monday, let him make the WR picks.

(Covering my ears about the poor WR play this past game.)

On the real Jim that's a good take never thought of that he did Coach in the Shrine. Sign me up if Troy Brown clamored for the pick.

 

[PatsFan2]

Here's a wild scenario: In the same draft they get Metcalf and Brown, or Metcalf and Samuel, or Brown and Samuel. Then, the draft the year after they add Higgins, if not Higgins and Pittman Jr. They could have done it. Imagine what their WR corps would look like now! And that's even having to let one or two go due to the cap. Having back to back drafts to acquire such talent at the WR position would have been incredible, and doable.

It just pisses me off when I think about the possibilities.

 

[Jim Beankie]

On the real Jim that's a good take never thought of that he did Coach in the Shrine. Sign me up if Troy Brown clamored for the pick.

Whoever decided to extend Parker should be fired. If that's BB, so be it.