This week we will conduct the review of the WR group.\u00a0 The group is better but only slightly.<\/p>\n
Nelson Agholor<\/strong><\/p>\n The veteran receiver didn\u2019t have anywhere near the year he had with Las Vegas the year before where he caught 48 passes for 893 yards and 8 TDs.\u00a0 He did not perform to the contract he signed.\u00a0 To be honest it wasn\u2019t all Agholor\u2019s fault.\u00a0 The Patriots are a run-first team.\u00a0 They were starting a rookie QB and Mac Jones was blitzed the most of any QB in the league.\u00a0 In 2021 Agholor had 37 catches, 473 yards, and 3 TDs.\u00a0 Agholor reported in OTAs that he is much more comfortable with the offense and the Patriots’ terminology, reads, and route running.<\/p>\n Kendrick Bourne<\/strong><\/p>\n Bourne had a career year last season.\u00a0 His 55 catches for 800 yards, a 14.5 average, 5 TDs, and a 78.6 Completion % were all personal best performances.\u00a0 His game-high number of catches was 6 and had no games over 100 yards.\u00a0 Bourne was very reliable yet underused.\u00a0 The primary use of Bourne is out of the slot.\u00a0 The slot receiver position is very crowded with Meyers, Bourne, Parker, Nixon, Montgomery, Perry, and Wilkerson.\u00a0 Bourne performed well in the OTAs but missed the Mini-Camp with an excused absence.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to see the improvement of Bourne in his 2nd<\/sup> season.<\/p>\n Davante Parker<\/strong><\/p>\n The Patriots made an unusual trade with divisional rival Miami.\u00a0 Parker has the highest percentage of contested catches in the league over the last 6 seasons.\u00a0 Jakobi Meyers was also in the top 5.\u00a0 One of the reasons is that Parker does not get separation.\u00a0 However, if he can get his hands on the ball it is usually caught by Parker.\u00a0 During OTAs and mini-camp, Parker looked smooth.\u00a0 However, he is primarily a slot receiver.\u00a0 Parker has a history of injuries which has held him back.\u00a0 Last season he missed 7 games due to a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n Jakobi Meyers<\/strong><\/p>\n Meyers signed his 2nd<\/sup> round tender ($3.986M).\u00a0 None of this is guaranteed.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Meyers was hoping to come to an agreement on a long-term contract.\u00a0 None was forthcoming from the Patriots.\u00a0 He saw what Hunter Renfrow signed with the Raiders, a two-year extension worth $32M.\u00a0 That was what he was hoping for.\u00a0 The North Carolina State product was arguably the Patriots most reliable pass catcher in 2021, finishing the season with two touchdowns, but leading the team in both receptions (89) and yards (906), including the playoffs. Meyers also logged a 9-yard carry and completed two passes for a combined 45 yards. The former college quarterback is now 4-for-4 as a passer for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns.\u00a0 Meyers has trouble getting separation but the 6\u2019 3\u201d slot receiver usually catches the ball if he has a clear path to the catch.\u00a0 Could Meyers be a surprise veteran cut?\u00a0 Let’s see how Training Camo goes.<\/p>\n Perhaps a trade to New Orleans for fellow RFA 2nd<\/sup> round tender player Deonte Harty (formerly Deonte Harris) from Assumption University in Worcester.\u00a0 Harty has refused to attend OTAs in hopes of getting a long-term contract.\u00a0 According to Ian Rapoport, they are \u201capart on a contract and nothing is imminent\u201d.\u00a0 As a rookie, he was selected to the Pro Bowl as a punt returner.<\/p>\n Harty, who changed his last name in January to honor his stepfather, joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He recorded 1,500 all-purpose yards last season, gaining 199 on punt returns, 690 on kick returns, 570 receiving, and 41 rushing in 13 games.<\/p>\n The short and slight Harty, (5\u20196\u201d 171 lbs.) expanded his role as a receiver last year, catching 36 passes and scoring three touchdowns.\u00a0 At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.48 40 and 6.82 3-cone drill.<\/p>\n Ty Montgomery<\/strong><\/p>\n Montgomery was an interesting signing but that was before the trade for Parker and after the drafting of Pierre Strong.\u00a0 The veteran swing player could have contributed at both Slot receiver and Receiving Back.\u00a0 Montgomery has exclusively worked out at WR.\u00a0 He is reliable if unspectacular.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he offers anything in the Special Teams game which will make it hard for him to make the team.\u00a0 Montgomery had a paltry 16 catches for 95 yards for the WR-needy Saints last year.\u00a0 I don\u2019t expect him to make the team.<\/p>\n Tyquan Thornton<\/strong><\/p>\n There are a lot of critics of the selection of Tyquan Thornton as a 2nd<\/sup> round pick.\u00a0 His slight build did not excite many observers at camp and he was running with the scout team players.\u00a0 He is currently WR5.\u00a0 If he can\u2019t contribute on Kickoffs, he may not make the 46-game day roster.\u00a0 We are looking at a Redshirt year for Thornton.\u00a0 I believe he is having a difficult time with the playbook and route running responsibilities.\u00a0 He is not the first to have these problems as many high-caliber veterans had trouble picking it up as well (Chad Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, Malcolm Floyd, Marquise Lee, and Reggie Wayne).\u00a0 Thornton has the speed to separate, but can he get his responsibilities down?\u00a0 A Redshirt year will also give him a year with the nutritional and weightlifting staff.\u00a0 He will be one to watch in camp.\u00a0 Nelson Agholor has taken Thornton under his wing to mentor him.<\/p>\n Tre Nixon<\/strong><\/p>\n Nixon was the surprise of OTAs and Mini-Camp.\u00a0 He made several deep catches and one, in particular, was spectacular.\u00a0 He was being covered by Jon Jones on a deep cross. Jones had Nixon\u2019s arm pinned (probably interference) but Nixon made a one-handed catch anyways.\u00a0 \u00a0He took an opportunity presented by Kendrick Bourne being absent and he ran with it.\u00a0 If you remember Nixon was the last selection in last year’s draft.\u00a0 The Patriots gave Ernie Adams the honor of making that pick and he chose the unheralded Nixon.\u00a0 NFL Draft Buzz had this to say about Nixon prior to being drafted by the Patriots, \u201c Plays fast and confident.\u00a0 Covers lots of ground in the short half of the field and is slippery after the catch.\u00a0 He is a balanced, savvy route runner with top field awareness, setting up and selling routes.\u00a0 Has elite speed and cutting ability and good hands and toughness.\u00a0 Lacks ideal size, but has a similar body type to Antonio Brown.\u00a0 Fluid athlete and explosive burst to stretch the field and breeze past defenders,\u00a0 Has a quick 1st<\/sup> step and gets to top speed in a hurry. \u00a0Combines speed, balance, quickness, vision, and crisp cuts to leave defensive backs and linebackers in the dust.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking at NFL Draftscout, Nixon ran 4.44 (expected to run 4.38), 6.81 3-cone drill.\u00a0 In 2019 Nixon had 49 catches in 12 games for 830 yards, 16.9 avg, and 7 TDs.\u00a0 His 2020 season started with a high ankle sprain which he fought hard to come back from and play the final 4 games.\u00a0 The ankle sprain may have affected his 40 time.\u00a0 Can he duplicate this performance in Training Camp?\u00a0 He will be one of the players to watch.<\/p>\n Kristian Wilkerson<\/strong><\/p>\n In the week 17 \u00a050-10 blowout of Jacksonville last year, Kristian Wilkerson had a coming-out party.\u00a0 It was expected that N\u2019Keal Harry, coming off a hip injury would get the start with Nelson Agholor out. \u00a0\u00a0Instead, it was Wilkerson and Harry was a healthy scratch.\u00a0 Wilkerson didn\u2019t disappoint with 4 catches<\/p>\n Wilkerson, who had played only nine offensive snaps over his first two years in the NFL, was on the field for 60 on that Sunday.\u00a0 Wilkerson came to the Patriots by way of the Tennessee Titans who cut Wilkerson at the final 2020 cutdown.\u00a0 He was signed to the Patriots practice squad immediately after clearing waivers.\u00a0 \u00a0This is going to be a very tough year to survive the final cuts.<\/p>\n Malcolm Perry<\/strong><\/p>\n The former NAVY QB had a very disappointing mini-camp with an opportunity to separate himself from the other slot receivers, and he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 He was listed as one of the biggest losers.\u00a0 I don\u2019t see Perry getting a spot on the roster unless he is kept as an emergency QB.\u00a0 The practice squad is a possibility again.<\/p>\n N’Keal Harry<\/strong><\/p>\n Why is he still here?\u00a0 He is occupying a roster spot.\u00a0 Harry is in the last year of his contract and I believe they will cut him if they can\u2019t find a new home for him.\u00a0 He has no value in a trade, and we might just be taking on someone else’s headache in order to send him packing.\u00a0 He may be the biggest bust in Patriots history.\u00a0 It still torques me that the Patriots could have (and should have as I predicted) taken Deebo Samuel.<\/p>\n Lil\u2019Jordan Humphrey<\/strong><\/p>\n A late add on Tuesday, Humphrey played for New Orleans last year and had 16 catches for 249 yards, a 19.2 average, and 2 TDs.\u00a0 He was a Restricted Free Agent but had an injury.\u00a0 New Orleans drafted Chris Olave and he made Humphrey expendable.\u00a0 The Texas product stands 6\u2019 5\u201d, 225 lbs, ran a pedestrian 4.75 40-yard dash, but a good 7.09 3-cone drill.\u00a0 Jordan is a great Red Zone target but seems he would be another in the group of receivers that can\u2019t separate.\u00a0 Can he put on more weight and play a move TE? \u00a0He doesn\u2019t add any value on special teams, which hurts his chance of making the team. \u00a0I see him as nothing more than a camp body.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Morse\u2019s Morsels<\/strong><\/p>\n Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal had three comments that deserved to be highlighted.\u00a0 Appearing on Sports Sunday with Mike Felger, Bedard floats the idea of a 3 man Shadow Roster.\u00a0\u00a0 For the final roster cutdown, he suggests that Malcolm Butler, Cody Davis, and Joe Cardona will be cut and re-signed to the Practice Squad.\u00a0 The unique characteristic of all three veteran players is that cutting them won\u2019t accelerate any bonuses against the cap.\u00a0 As vested veterans, they do not have to pass through waivers and become free agents immediately.\u00a0 They are told with a wink and a nod they will be resigned to the Practice Squad and elevated three times (as allowed by the new rules).\u00a0 If they are on the active roster for week 1, their salary is guaranteed for the entire season.\u00a0 The Patriots did this with Brian Hoyer and Nick Folk last year.\u00a0 They can\u2019t do it with Folk and Hoyer because both players signed multi-year contracts that would have accelerated their signing bonus against this year’s cap.\u00a0 This is a very interesting idea.\u00a0 \u00a0Bedard’s comments were before the Daniel Ekuale suspension announcement.\u00a0 This number might increase to 4 with one of the players being re-signed immediately when Ekuale is suspended.\u00a0 So might a Henry Anderson be added to the group?<\/p>\n Bedard also warns to pump the brakes on Mac Jones’s great OTAs and Mini-camp.\u00a0\u00a0 Most of his big deep throws were conducted in 7-on-7 drills with no pads and no pressure.\u00a0 I am encouraged to see Jones’s improvement but let\u2019s see how this goes in training camp.<\/p>\n The final point is that he sees no reason to keep Isaiah Wynn at $10.5M against the cap, to play Right Tackle.\u00a0 He goes on to say there is no trade market for Wynn as he is considered a below-average O Lineman carrying a huge cap hit of $10.5.\u00a0\u00a0 Further, the team and others in the league are questioning just how much Wynn loves football.\u00a0 He has missed all the \u201cVoluntary\u201d OTAs the past two seasons.\u00a0 Reportedly he came to training camp last season out of shape which hindered his development.\u00a0 If Wynn is on the roster for the 1st game of the season, then his salary is guaranteed for the season.<\/p>\n Daniel Ekuale Suspended Two Games by NFL<\/strong><\/p>\n Patriots reserve Defensive Tackle Daniel Ekuale has been notified by the league that he will be suspended for his first two games in 2022.\u00a0 Ekuale must first make the final 53 roster, then can be added to the suspended list and replaced on the 53-man roster.\u00a0 Ekuale played in 8 games last season and had 5 tackles, with 2 being sacks.<\/p>\n Quinn Nordin Passes Through Waivers<\/strong><\/p>\n Kicker Quinn Nordin was waived-injured and since no team claimed him he reverts back to the Patriots.\u00a0 He has been designated as a Non-Football Injury player.\u00a0 As such, the Patriots do not owe him any salary against the cap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week we will conduct the review of the WR group.\u00a0 The group is better but only slightly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":41607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news"],"yoast_head":"\n