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Five Patriots Players Under the Most Pressure in 2016

Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri on Twitter
May 5, 2016 at 6:00 am ET

Five Patriots Players Under the Most Pressure in 2016
(PHOTO: Kevin Jairaj - USA TODAY Sports)
🕑 Read Time: 5 minutes

Aaron Dobson has had three injury-filled, inconsistent seasons and must produce in 2016. (USA TODAY Images)

#5 Wide Receiver Aaron Dobson:
Okay, this one is pretty much a no-brainer. Dobson has had three seasons with the Patriots to make his mark and each one has ended via injury after signing a 4-year, $3.4 million-dollar contract when being drafted in the 2nd round, 59th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The 2015 season began on a high note, in the Week 2 over the Buffalo Bills, he caught 7 passes for 87 yards and things were looking up.  But he would catch only five more passes the rest of the year and his final one, Week 11 against the Giants resulted in another injury that caused him to once again end up on IR.

The Patriots patience has to be razor thin at this point. Brandon LaFell was jettisoned and the team brought in free agents Nate Washington and Chris Hogan. Last weekend, the team drafted wide receivers Malcolm Mitchell and Devin Lucien.

Dobson has to have a big…not an okay but a big spring and summer. And that means without missing a significant amount of time during OTAs and/or training camp. The time for injuries and inconsistent play is long past. The team has brought in four players vying for his roster spot.

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About Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)


Tags: 2016 Patriots Draft 2016 Patriots Roster 53 Man Roster Projection Aaron Dobson Bill Belichick Chris Long Danny Amendola Dion Lewis Jabaal Sheard Jimmy Garoppolo Julian Edelman Malcolm Butler Marcus Cannon Miami Dolphins New England Patriots New York Jets NFL Patriots Patriots edge rushers Pittsburgh Steelers Rob Gronkowski Rob Ninkovich Tom Brady

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