Wide Receivers For The Future?

[mgteich]

We have wide receivers who are good enough to give us a top offense for the next couple of years. Our veteran trio of Welker, Ocho and Branch are enough to for us to be the #1 offense, if they are healthy.

We talk a lot about the future of the offense. We are in great shape at QB (Brady forever)OL (most would add a center next year), TE, and RB.
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But what of wide receiver. In our wildest dreams, do we think that Price, Edelman and Tate will be anywhere near the level of our present top receivers? Aren't we all hoping hta one of them might be that good?

Perhaps this is not an issue for the patriots. Perhaps (as DL), this is a position that will not be homegrown. Perhaps, we need to face the front office just isn't very good at drafting wide receivers to fit our system. After all, who was the last top receiver we've drafted?

 

[Tunescribe]

We have wide receivers who are good enough to give us a top offense for the next couple of years. Our veteran trio of Welker, Ocho and Branch are enough to for us to be the #1 offense, if they are healthy.

We talk a lot about the future of the offense. We are in great shape at QB (Brady forever)OL (most would add a center next year), TE, and RB.
==============

But what of wide receiver. In our wildest dreams, do we think that Price, Edelman and Tate will be anywhere near the level of our present top receivers? Aren't we all hoping hta one of them might be that good?

Perhaps this is not an issue for the patriots. Perhaps (as DL), this is a position that will not be homegrown. Perhaps, we need to face the front office just isn't very good at drafting wide receivers to fit our system. After all, who was the last top receiver we've drafted?

I think that as long as we have tight ends who are legitimate pass-catching threats (Gronk and Hernandez), and good third-down backs, we don't need more than the style/caliber of what we've got at WR.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't know who it is, but if there's a potential free agent of the future on the horizon, just letting them know that Tom Brady wants them on his team is going to make the Patriots an instant front runner for his services.

While I know statistically some can prove that Brady would have won the Super Bowl with Reche Caldwell, I think Brady does like to have a full complement of all types of receivers, allowing him to dink and dunk an opponent to death but also give him the option of putting a team away with a big, deep, game breaking TD toss.

Whether Brady currently has all those options at his disposal is another question, but my gut tells me we're about to see both a dominant offense and defense this season

 

[Ring 6]

We have wide receivers who are good enough to give us a top offense for the next couple of years. Our veteran trio of Welker, Ocho and Branch are enough to for us to be the #1 offense, if they are healthy.

We talk a lot about the future of the offense. We are in great shape at QB (Brady forever)OL (most would add a center next year), TE, and RB.
==============

But what of wide receiver. In our wildest dreams, do we think that Price, Edelman and Tate will be anywhere near the level of our present top receivers? Aren't we all hoping hta one of them might be that good?

Perhaps this is not an issue for the patriots. Perhaps (as DL), this is a position that will not be homegrown. Perhaps, we need to face the front office just isn't very good at drafting wide receivers to fit our system. After all, who was the last top receiver we've drafted?

Pick a year in BBs tenure and see if the WRs were there and being developed 3 or 4 years earlier. Then ask yourself again who our WRs will be in 3 or 4 years. In fact you can probably do that with any position. Unless we had a young starter who stuck around the starters 3 to 4 years later weren't on the roster in most cases.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I think that as long as we have tight ends who are legitimate pass-catching threats (Gronk and Hernandez), and good third-down backs, we don't need more than the style/caliber of what we've got at WR.

True on the TE's. They seem to be the future of the Patriots success in the passing game. As long as this team is successful, free agents including Wr's will want to come here and play for a fair price. Thanks to Kraft and BB for creating such a great environment to make this so.

 

[Ron Sellers]

Perhaps this is not an issue for the patriots. Perhaps (as DL), this is a position that will not be homegrown. Perhaps, we need to face the front office just isn't very good at drafting wide receivers to fit our system. After all, who was the last top receiver we've drafted?

To me this "Pats don't know how to draft a WR" is something that is a bit blown out of proportion due primarily to the trade for Wes Welker, and to a lesser extent the trade for Randy Moss. With one or both of those players on the roster, there's pretty much no way any draftee or undrafted free agent is going to be the team's leading receiver. The decision making that goes into those trades is dependent on player evaluation, which is the same skill that goes into drafting players. To me the sample size is way too small to declare that the Patriots have no idea of what they are doing when it comes to evaluating blue-chip wide receiver college prospects, based on two busts.

As for the answer to your question, it was 2005 with Deion Branch. A homegrown player led the Pats in receiving every season from 1998 to 2005.

 

[Patriot Missile]

Perhaps this is not an issue for the patriots. Perhaps (as DL), this is a position that will not be homegrown. Perhaps, we need to face the front office just isn't very good at drafting wide receivers to fit our system. After all, who was the last top receiver we've drafted?

Atleast he knows when to stay away. We could of drafted David Terrel instead of Richard Seymour? I think the current system he has in place to access fair trade value for free agent Wr's is working pretty well for him. I honestly believe drafting a superstar Wr is really tough to do, even for the likes of BB. The bust factor is probably has one of the highest rates. Probably right up there with drafting an elite pass rusher.

 

[ALP]

you have to count the TE's in this as well

so all of them are very young, and as for wr's, edelman and price I would say are good right now....you dont want way too young guys at WR

 

[Ring 6]

Atleast he knows when to stay away. We could of drafted David Terrel instead of Richard Seymour? I think the current system he has in place to access fair trade value for free agent Wr's is working pretty well for him. I honestly believe drafting a superstar Wr is really tough to do, even for the likes of BB. The bust factor is probably has one of the highest rates. Probably right up there with drafting an elite pass rusher.

Why would you draft a WR in the top of the draft (knowing the bust rate is as high as any position) when you can get
Randy Moss in the 4th
Wes Welker in the 2nd
Deion Branch in the 4th
Chad Johnson in the 5th

Throw in some 3rds and some fliers like Edelman, Givens, etc to give you youth.

 

[mgteich]

I am fine with a strategy of primarily acquiring certain positions in the draft and others through free agency.

Atleast he knows when to stay away. We could of drafted David Terrel instead of Richard Seymour? I think the current system he has in place to access fair trade value for free agent Wr's is working pretty well for him. I honestly believe drafting a superstar Wr is really tough to do, even for the likes of BB. The bust factor is probably has one of the highest rates. Probably right up there with drafting an elite pass rusher.

 

[Ring 6]

I am fine with a strategy of primarily acquiring certain positions in the draft and others through free agency.

I don't even think its a strategy by position though, I think it BECOMES a strategy by the cumulation of decisions.

BB won't not draft a WR because they bust often or because he would rather trade. He won't draft one if they aren't the best value for the pick. After a succession of that, then you look elsewhere. When good players are available in trade and you have need, you go get them, therefore the position also becomes a lesser need in the draft.

You can reverse those steps as well.

I think we put too much faith in this master plan where decisions are planned years in advance. I think opportunities come up, you act on them, then move on to the next.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Why would you draft a WR in the top of the draft (knowing the bust rate is as high as any position) when you can get
Randy Moss in the 4th
Wes Welker in the 2nd
Deion Branch in the 4th
Chad Johnson in the 5th

Throw in some 3rds and some fliers like Edelman, Givens, etc to give you youth.

Branch was a 2nd round pick like Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson

 

[Ring 6]

Branch was a 2nd round pick like Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson

But last year he was traded for a 4th

 

[MrNathanDrake]

PRICE will be a star.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

PRICE will be a star.

i have hopes for him, but cant do much from the tub... hopefully he will be back soon.... i would love to see him become the next david givens...

 

[Frick]

Good thread MGTEICH-I believe Price, Edelman and Tate (nice article about Tate at Patriots Pulpit) can fill in nicely for our present starters (at this stage in the starters' careers) if brought along properly.

Tunescibe, agree with you that average-good WRS would suffice along with Gronk & Hernandez in place.

All of this brings up an interesting question: As MGTEICH mentioned in the beginning about drafting a Center (most of us have our hearts set on Mike Brewster) and how comfortable we are with keeping Price, Tate and Edelman for the future, should we protect a couple of these guys by IRing them, or look for free agents next year? I think Brady is pretty comfortable with these guys but what do you think would be the best way to go?

When the opposing team starts to put pressure up the middle, I'd like to see Gronk or Yeatman put in motion so that when the ball is snapped they can help the Center or Guards instead of using a Running Back (I like the added size). I think Aaron Hernandez has all the skill sets of Dallas Clark so on third and fourth down I'd like to have two go-to guys, Welker and Hernandez.

 

[captain stone]

As for the answer to your question, it was 2005 with Deion Branch. A homegrown player led the Pats in receiving every season from 1998 to 2005.

That was 2002, the same year David Givens was drafted in the 7th round.
Then nothing at all from 2003-08 (or 2000, '01 & '11). I'm still holding out hope for Edelman ('09) & Price ('10),
provided that their injuries won't jeopardize their season.
As for Brandon Tate, the similarities btwn him & Bethel Johnson are downright scary.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

The problem is the New England front office just won't pull the gun on a first round WR. They also seem to be allergic to pulling the trigger on a 6'3 + 210lb + wide receiver. There have been plenty of immensely big talented WRs come out of the draft with incredible physical tools that would thrive under Brady's arm, but the new england front office seems to prefer midgets(with the exception of Randy Moss and the infamous chad jackson).

I personally think getting a 6'4 220lb Brandon Marshall(not a deep threat, but a redzone thread and top notch possession receiver) would fit perfectly into the patriot's offense.

OchoCinco was a great pickup, and has decent size, but he is now a very good number 2. I would like to see the patriots next year go out and grab a big talented # 1. I think Taylor Price has potential to be a solid # 2.


I like our WR's now, and feel we have enough weapons to spead the ball around, but I would love to draft a big physical WR next year in the first round, to compliment out smaller WR's. Then we would become one of the best offenses ever, imo.

It's almost like ever since the Chad Jackson debacle, we have been afraid to pull the trigger ever since.

 

[Fencer]

With outstanding pass-catching at TE and RB, and serviceable young receivers, we can afford to rely on vet pickups at WR if need be.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Another guy who would be perfect in our system is Dwayne Bowe. Has the Size, Strength Hands, Vertical, Physicality, and red zone ability. He is also young and in his prime.