Making Sense of the Patriots Receiver Core
There are two things which come as almost certainties with the Belichick Era Patriots dynasty; Playoff success and offseason turmoil. This offseason has certainly been one for sensationalism and rumour with the Brady-Belichick-Kraft rift being widely reported and various stories emerging of an attempted Brady trade followed by hints of Brady retiring.
The most intriguing of all the New England Patriots off season stories is what exactly are the patriots planning to do at the receiver position? After the Patriots parted company with last seasons team leader in targets this offseason in Brandon Cooks, Patriots fan reaction was mixed. Cooks had been Brady’s first genuine deep threat since Randy Moss and became the first new England player not called Gronkowski or Edelman to record a 1000 yard receive season since Wes Welker in 2012. The Patriots chose to cut their loses with cooks, opting to trade him for a 1st round pick for him as opposed to losing him to free agency at the end of the 2018 season.
Speaking of Gronkowski and Edelman, both Patriot stars come into the 2018 season under a cloud. Gronkowski, last season’s leading receiver returns after spending the spring suppressing rumours of retirement following his post Super Bowl press conference, while Edelman was set to make his return from injury after losing his 2017 season to a torn ACL in a pre-season game vs the Lions. Edelman’s expected return to the Patriots offense has been subsequently delayed by a 4 game PED suspension.
So as training camp looms, the Patriots look set to start the season with a drastically different look at receiver and more than likely a new look on offense that focuses more on the use of short underneath routes and patterns as opposed to the deep attack which we saw more than ever from the Patriots offense last year. The main question is, just who will TB12 be throwing the ball too?
Chris Hogan
Hogan is probably the only lock at the Receiver position for the patriots, Hogan has finished his two seasons in New England with 58 and 59 targets, the second of the two being more impressive as he only played in 9 games before suffering a shoulder injury. Hogan was on track for over 100 targets in the season which would of likely put him 3rd in targets behind Gronkowski and Cooks. With Edelman for the first 4 and Cooks no longer around, expect Hogan to be Brady’s first read on most plays.
Jordan Matthews
Free Agency signing Matthews comes into 2018 off the back of his worse season in the NFL. A season plagued with Knee and Ankle injuries. Matthews, an excellent slot receiver during his time with the Eagles, has every chance to make a name for himself this season and capitalize on the WR turmoil in New England. Matthews is seen by many as an ideal replacement for the departed Danny Amendola but Matthews will have a chance to sign instantly with Edelman suspended. If Matthews can master to offense in New England and stay healthy, he has every chance to return to the production levels he showed in Philadelphia.
Phillip Dorsett
Dorsett was picked up in the Brissett trade with the Colts last season and his playing time in New England was very sporadic. Just 12 catches off 18 targets in 15 games doesn’t exactly fill the Patriots fan base with confidence that Dorsett will be a major contributor to the offense this season. Dorsett has very limited special teams experience which only decreases his value further in New England, especially as key special teams Branden Bolden and Matt Slater are on the Non-Football Illness and Physically unable to perform lists respectively to start training camp. Dorsett goes into training camp on the roster bubble even with the Patriots well documented WR issues. Dorsett’s potential appeal in New England is he is very similar to Brandon Cooks in terms on he is a burner, he’s a deep threat. His was rightly a first round pick based on what he was showing in college, but he hasn’t reached that level in he pro’s yet. There’s a chance the Patriots give him a shot to replace Cooks this season but it’s equally possible that the Patriots shift focus back to the underneath, crossing routes that they’ve focused on prior to Cooks arrival.
Cordarelle Patterson
Former 1st round draft pick Patterson has never quite reach the potentially expected of him as a WR through his 5 year career. He has never reached the 500 yard receiving yard mark on a season but has always guaranteed production as a kick returner, scoring 5 career touchdowns and averaging 30.2 yards per return over 5 seasons. The Patriots have never really settled at kick returner for the past few seasons, often risking key offensive players such as Edelman or Amendola, just to prioritize ball security. Patterson should be expected to be the Patriots first choice returning kicks and it wouldn’t be beyond expectations for OC Josh McDaniel’s to put in the work with Patterson and find a role for him in the Patriots offense. It wouldn’t be a surprise if 2018 was a career year for Patterson.
Kenny Britt
29 year old Britt enters training camp on the PUP list with a hamstring issue, a nightmare scenario for the 10 year veteran. After being a healthy scratch for the 2017 playoffs, Britt would have been desperate to put in a strong showing at training camp to secure his place on the Patriots 53 man roster. Britt was signed by the Patriots late last season after being cut by the Cleveland Browns but only managed 2 catches in 3 games. The Patriots clearly had interest in Britt beyond the 2017 season as they signed him to a two year deal but it remains to be seen whether Britt will be able to cement his stay on the roster following his offseason injury issues.
Braxton Berrios
NFL.com’s draft analysist Lance Zierlien compared Braxton Berrios to Danny Amendola in his pre-draft analysis of the Miami Hurricane. It’s almost as if he was predicting Berrios would end up in Foxboro. Berrios became known for his sharp route running, explosive burst speed and his sticky hands, racking up over 1000 career receiving yards with the Hurricanes over 4 seasons, a majority of which came in his senior season, including a 5 for 105-yard game against Toledo. Edelman’s absence at the start of the season give Braxton Berrios a chance to make himself a household name in the NFL. A strong training camp for the 6th rounder could result in Berrios winning the starting slot receiver role for the Patriots, giving the 23 year old a chance to become the favorite target of arguably the greatest 6th rounder of all time, Tom Brady.
Devin Lucien
Somewhat of a nomad throughout his short NFL career, 7th round pick Lucien returns to New England for a third training camp. Having spent most of the last two seasons bouncing from practice squads around the league, this is probably Lucien’s last shot at making an NFL roster. His chances look slim as over the past two seasons he is yet to even play an NFL game. Unless Lucien can emerge as a special teams talent, expect him to be one of the first names cut from the roster.
Riley McCarron
An undrafted rookie who split time between the Houston and New England practice squads last season, 5 foot 9 receiver McCarron comes into training camp hoping to capitalize on the suspension of Julian Edelman. McCarron’s size and measurables make him look like the ideal New England slot receiver however unfortunately for McCarron, he isn’t the only fit for that role on the roster and he is probably the least experienced of all the options. An exceptional training camp or a strong showing returning punts will likely be McCarron’s only shot at a roster spot.
Malcolm Mitchell
3rd year pro Malcolm Mitchell looks the most unlikely out of all the Patriots receiving corps to make the team at this current time. Despite an impressive rookie season in 2016, complete with a Super Bowl ring, Mitchell’s career hasn’t quite gone to plan so far. Injury issues plagued the 4th round pick in 2017 and he ultimately missed the entire season. As training camp opens, it looks highly likely that the Patriots will be fielding trade offers from across the league for the 6 foot 1 wideout, who’s injury issues could potentially have him ruled out beyond the season opener.
