{"id":18936,"date":"2018-09-03T08:17:57","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T12:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=18936"},"modified":"2018-09-03T08:17:57","modified_gmt":"2018-09-03T12:17:57","slug":"patriots-add-depth-with-two-bigger-wide-receivers-quick-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2018\/09\/03\/patriots-add-depth-with-two-bigger-wide-receivers-quick-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Add Depth With Two Bigger Wide Receivers, Quick Analysis"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the reduction of the NFL\u2019s rosters down to the 53-man league-mandated maximum, the Patriots were left on Saturday afternoon with just four wide receivers, one of whom, Matthew Slater, is a special team\u2019s ace. They plucked two intriguing players off the waiver wire, Amarah Darboh from the Seattle Seahawks and Chad Hansen from the New York Jets. Both were rookies in 2017 and had scant production from their respective teams.<\/span><\/p>\n

But both enter New England with a clean slate and the opportunity to learn on the job. Learning on the fly is never easy, the Patriots offense and route tree for the WRs is complicated and not an easy one to learn. We\u2019ve seen several productive veteran wide receivers come here and fail. So temper any expectations at the outset and let the process play out. At first glance, however, both players would be the type to fit in with what the Patriots offense likes to do. Will the Patriots make another move for a more veteran wide receiver? We still believe they will, but we\u2019ll just have to wait and see. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hansen is just 23 and spent last year with the Jets after being drafted by the Jets in the 4th round, 141st overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. In his only season with the Jets, he played in 15 games and caught nine passes for 94 yards, including one for 15 against the Patriots in the regular season finale in Foxboro. He had a very strong spring with the Jets before tailing off during training camp.<\/span><\/p>\n

While at Cal, he posted outstanding numbers in his final season in 2016, with 92 catches, 1249 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. He brings good size at 6\u20192, 202 pounds, he ran a 4.53 in the 40 at the Combine, but showed excellent quickness in the 3-Cone Drill with a time of 6.74. <\/span><\/p>\n

Hansen is the kind of chain mover that the Patriots like and can be used in a couple of ways. He can work inside and is good at coming back to the ball on dig routes, was a reliable man in the screen game, adept at making the first man miss, was very good at working the boundaries and had great awareness of the sidelines. He has really good hands and is able to occasionally fool a defender and blow past them to stretch the field. <\/span><\/p>\n

His highlight film work reminds one a lot of Chris Hogan. He plays a bit faster than his timed speed. However, he struggled to gain separation from defenders which is probably why the Jets gave up on him after just one season.<\/span><\/p>\n