Big takeaway: The big WR is back – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

Just what we need…

Think about the team’s offense in 2011 and 2012, and then ask the question, “Who could make that type of play in the deep part of the field?” The top receivers last year were Brandon Lloyd (6-foot-0) and Wes Welker (5-foot-9). Lloyd made acrobatic catches along the sideline, but he wasn’t outleaping defenders and high-pointing the ball on vertical routes downfield. Two years ago, it was the top combination of Welker and Deion Branch (5-foot-9). Same type of deal. So what we’ve seen from Dobson (6-3, 210) is something that hasn’t shown up on the radar since the Patriots had 6-foot-4 Randy Moss running routes on the outside. This isn’t to compare Dobson to Moss. That would be ridiculous. But it’s the style of play that is being highlighted, while also keeping things in proper context (it’s early, this was a joint practice, and Dobson is far from a polished product).