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Patriots' Wide Receiver Group


AlNFL19

PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS  

9 members have voted

  1. 1. Who will be the Pats' No. 1 WR?

    • Julian Edelman
      3
    • Chris Hogan
      4
    • Malcolm Mitchell
      1
    • Phillip Dorsett
      0
    • Cordarrelle Patterson
      0
    • Kenny Britt
      0
    • Jordan Matthews
      1
    • Braxton Berrios
      0


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The Patriots' wide receiver group this year is interesting. Obviously, nobody needs to step up as an elite wideout because of Rob Gronkowski and James White's contributions to the offense, but what do you all think about the group? With Edelman out in the first four weeks, who's going to step up, especially against Jacksonville in Week 2? Who do you think starts? Who gets the ax?

I think the receivers will end up like this:

Julian Edelman: Easily the team's starting slot receiver. Edelman will come back from his suspension and be the most-targeted Patriots player from Week 4 to the season's end.

Chris Hogan: I think Hogan might struggle to find time. He's primarily a deep threat but doesn't have the elite speed or elusiveness to be consistent. Phillip Dorsett might push him to start now that Dorsett's had a year in the system.

Jordan Matthews: I think Matthews might face time as a third or fourth option for the offense. He hasn't been a consistent wideout since his earliest seasons, and might take a little while to get back there. Matthews should be a solid contributor who gets a lot of playing time in the first four weeks. UPDATE: Matthews was cut following a "significant" hamstring injury.

Malcolm Mitchell: Assuming good health, Mitchell is a lock to make the roster. I think he could be the team's "WR1," a role that won't be as glorified on the Pats as on a team without the best tight end ever. In his rookie year, he proved he could get open often and make plays with the targets he gets. He showed strong hands to fight for every ball and burned Atlanta's CB2 and CB3 in the fourth quarter of LI. UPDATE: Mitchell had a procedure on his knee and may not play in 2018. The Patriots are looking to move on from the oft-injured wideout. 

Phillip Dorsett: I think Dorsett could push Hogan to start as the team's designated deep threat receiver. Dorsett has elite athleticism that Hogan doesn't have, so he could be a more consistent field-stretcher.

Cordarrelle Patterson: As the NFL's best kickoff returner, Patterson is a lock to make the roster. On offense, I think he offers some as a deep threat and a gadget player who has the size and athletic ability to be a mismatch but maybe not the technique to be a regular starter.

Kenny Britt: Britt is a big-bodied receiver who doesn't have premier athleticism. I think he'll see some time but get pushed out of a starting spot by Mitchell.

Braxton Berrios: Berrios could stick around for fear of losing him to waivers, but he's no sure thing. Berrios is supposedly a prototypical Patriots slot receiver, so he might see some time, but he might ultimately not make the roster.

Cody Hollister: I think Hollister is facing an uphill battle for a roster spot and hasn't showed much. UPDATE: Hollister was waived with an NFI designation.

Riley McCarron: See above.

Matthew Slater: Slater offers reserve ability as a deep threat thanks to his ability as a gunner, but will be a lock as a Pro Bowl special teamer.

 

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What I think I should happen: 

(Edelman)-Hogan-Mitchell-Matthews-Patterson-Berrios-Slater.

But Bill has a tendency to keep (and give some playing time to) at least one WR on the roster that I think is a JAG. So Dorsett or Britt probably make the cut over someone else, maybe Matthews/Berrios.

EDIT: Also, Hogan isn’t just a deep threat. He showed that early in 2017.

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19 minutes ago, Yin-Yang said:

What I think I should happen: 

(Edelman)-Hogan-Mitchell-Matthews-Patterson-Berrios-Slater.

But Bill has a tendency to keep (and give some playing time to) at least one WR on the roster that I think is a JAG. So Dorsett or Britt probably make the cut over someone else, maybe Matthews/Berrios.

EDIT: Also, Hogan isn’t just a deep threat. He showed that early in 2017.

Hogan's 2016-17 YPC was a league-best 17.9.

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1 minute ago, AlNFL19 said:

Oh my bad. I misread your first post and thought it said "Chris Hogan isn't a deep threat."

All good, homie. 

I think as Hogan slows/ages (turning 31 this year) he’ll make his bread and butter working more as he did in 2017 than how he did in 2016. As of now, it looks like NE lacks a serious deep threat, but this is only the 20th time the receiving group has looked like that.

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2 minutes ago, Yin-Yang said:

Worth noting: apparently NE is looking to move Mitchell.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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  • 2 weeks later...
10 minutes ago, DoleINGout said:

I'd like them to consider Dez Bryant soon too.

I remain an adamant objector to Dez. Rather have Decker. 

 

I am upset that Matthews will not be a factor. I still believe that if this "significant" hamstring injury didnt pop up he'd be an important piece. Unfortunately injuries like this have lingered and hampered him his entire career. 

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