With two open roster spots and just three wide receivers on the initial roster, it was little surprise that the Patriots signed two wideouts off the waiver wire. Chad Hansen and Amara Darbo are both second-year receivers who had nine catches as rookies with their respective teams.
Can we count on either to step in and contribute? The track record for in-season receivers is pretty poor outside of Jabar Gaffney in 2006.
Neither name has the sexiness of a Dez Bryant, but both are clearly Patriots-type receivers. Let’s take a quick look at them both.
Amara Darbo
A third-round pick by the Seahawks out of Michigan, Darbo’s best trait is his size and toughness. At 6’2″ with good arm length, Darbo is willing to do the dirty work even if he isn’t the fastest or quickest receiver. Usually that kind of player screams special teams and he did play a third of the Seahawks ST snaps last season.
The biggest concern with Darbo is his hands, with PFF making an apt comparison to Brandon LaFell in Darbo’s scouting report. That tells you what kind of fit he is and that he’ll likely looked at more on the outside at first, a spot where he’ll be behind Dorsett and Hogan.
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