On Britt, Dez and the Remaining Patriots Receivers

As you’ve heard by now the Pats released Kenny Britt on Wednesday, just as most of the attention was turning toward him as the x-factor in the receiver battle. I know I was focusing fully on him as recently as yesterday morning and now here we are, a third lost receiver this summer in addition to the departures of Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks in the offseason.

Early in camp I thought the hot takes about the receiver situation was overblown and to some extent I still do, but it’s still hard to fathom losing five receivers off the roster in seven months, even if the writing was on the wall with Amendola and Cooks was more a luxury than someone to lean upon. So what are the Pats left with? Julian Edelman, who is somehow being very much underappreciated because he’s coming off an injury and will miss the first four games. He’s not dead. He’s still the all-time leading post-season receiver and one of Tom Brady‘s most trusted targets, but for some reason that’s mostly getting swept under the rug these days.

Then there’s Chris Hogan, who led the league in yards-per-catch two seasons ago and still topped his catch total in 2017 despite missing multiple games to injury. Between Edelman and Hogan there’s a very solid base to start from, so if you’re throwing yourself off the bridge now I’m not sure how you lived through 2006 or 2013.

Remember 2013? Wes Welker and Deion Branch left, Aaron Hernandez was released after being arrested and Brady’s weaponz went back to ground zero. The talking points that offseason? Edelman hadn’t done anything since his rookie year four years earlier. Danny Amendola was too fragile. After them it was undrafted Kenbrell Thompkins and second-round pick Aaron Dobson. Josh Boyce and Austin Collie made guest appearances and that was it.

The result? The Pats offense fell from 1st overall in 2012 to… 4th overall. They were third in points and 10th in yards, en route to a 12-4 record. Edelman broke 100 catches/1,000 yards.

Does 2018 comes close to 2013? Nope. And now once again the drums for Dez Bryant are getting beat. Outside of the fact that Bryant is a talented available player, I don’t see any reason to sign him. As always I go back to Scott Pioli — “we’re building a team, not collecting talent.” I feel like I’m always rehashing this when it comes to the DEEP THREAT/WEAPONZ discussion. So here’s four easy reasons Dez doesn’t make sense to me:

1. The Pats could’ve drafted Dez and didn’t. They could’ve signed him any time this offseason. They didn’t. They’ve never seemed interested in him for whatever reason. And they aren’t as desperate as the talking heads might make them out to be.
2. If you believe there was internal turmoil last season, is a personality like Bryant’s what the team needs to add? Especially at this point when team chemistry is already established? Dez just shows up and pushes everyone down the depth chart? How would that play? And he’s going to fine “doing his job” even if means Hogan’s getting more targets?
3. Dez is going to join the team now and pick up the Patriots nuanced playbook and earn Tom Brady’s trust? He’s going to play multiple receiving roles? Adjust his routes post snap and be exactly where Brady expects him to be?
4.  Finally and most important, Dez is going to take the kind of lowball money offer the Patriots would offer? He wants to win that bad?

The one lesson we can take from 2013 is that without Rob Gronkowski the Pats just did not have enough to beat an elite defense like Denver at their home stadium. But all things considered, they came pretty damn close. If they could do that with less than they have now, what happens if Phillip Dorsett or Cordarrelle Patterson lives up to their draft status? Or Edelman and Hogan play like they did in 2016? Is there really that much to worry about? Of course, injuries could still kill them but that is every team.

I know I’m not super high on Dorsett as I’ve said many times in recent weeks, but let’s not forget, he’s really just needed to be their THIRD wide receiver and even if he’s just using his speed to stretch the field he’s going to be a factor, more than current CFL-er Kenbrell Thompkins and his 32 catches in 2013 were.

Tom Brady has still looked like Tom Brady this summer and that’s all that really matters. This group of receivers is still far better than what he’s had in past seasons. There are some questions, but we’re still in the high-class problems stage of the dynasty until Brady can no longer make effective NFL receivers from any bum off the street. And he’s got a lot more than bums off the street right now.