This thread has had a funny effect. I came into it with the assumption that WR was generally a low-priority position for BB & co., one they strategically chose to "shortchange" in resource distribution. After many posters' attempts to support that assumption, I've been persuaded of the opposite.
It now seems clear to me that the Patriots are just as willing to put resources into WR as any other position--except for drafting prospects.
Consider:
- The only player BB has ever traded a 1st-round pick for was WR Brandin Cooks. IIRC the only player he's traded a 2nd-round pick for was WR Wes Welker. Just last season he reportedly offered a 3rd-round pick for half a season of Golden Tate.
- In this offseason the Patriots reportedly made offers for many of the top FA receivers including Adam Humphries, Cole Beasley and Golden Tate. The $10-million/year offer for Humphries would have been the second-biggest deal for
any outside FA they've ever made.
- The fact that they haven't been trading for $16-million+ receivers tells us nothing, since they never do that at any position. They even let their own best DE walk this year rather than paying him that kind of money. Similarly, the fact that they tend to make a lot of lower-profile deals instead is consistent with the team that traded for Trent Brown, Danny Shelton, Kyle Van Noy, and a host of others all over the field.
In sum, the more I look, the less I see evidence that WR is a low-priority position they've chosen to shift resources away from. I only see evidence that they prefer veterans at the position.