Touched on some of the points earlier, but I think essentially the Patriots offense will be a bit more traditional, in that you have Gronk or Ballard as the Y tight end and then you mix and match around them, whether it’s 11 or 21 personnel. Maybe down the line you use some 12 with Gronk AND Ballard, but that’s probably more a goalline package.
You just don’t have the Hernandez “joker” player who can be moved around the formation for matchup issues. That’s what made them so hard to match up against last year. Maybe they use Vereen a bit in that role, motioning him out from the backfield in 21 personnel.
That said, there are options. There are plenty of new wide receivers and from that group you should see some interesting new weapons emerge. Whether it’s the outside presence of Dobson, a versatile receiver like Boyce, or even gadget plays involving Edelman. There are certainly new twists coming, but it will depend on who can do what and who earns Brady’s trust. So there’s an element of fluidity to it.
Ultimately I think the Pats were taking a throw it all at the wall approach at receiver and that has given them some insurance against the loss of Hernandez. But how it will all play out is for competition and injuries to determine.
So hard to project trades in the NFL, especially at a position like receiver that takes time to pick up. I’d think it more likely to see Deion Branch back than anything else if all of these receivers struggle. I’d actually be for a Branch return now to help them pick the system and Brady’s preferences now.
