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chris hogan

Patriots Positional Preview: Wide Receivers

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This year’s wide receiver corps is arguably the best the Patriots have had, at least since 2007’s fireworks. There might not be that single Hall of Fame talent like Randy Moss, but there’s more depth and diversity than even the record-setting 2007 offense.

Acquiring Brandin Cooks was the highlight move of the offseason on offense, but extending Julian Edelman and re-working Danny Amendola’s contract once again, ensured continuity with Tom Brady’s most reliable targets. With Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell entering their second years in New England, they should also make some significant strides. Both receivers accomplished the rare feat of instantly clicking with Brady and the offense, and should only improve with experience.

Free agent signee Andrew Hawkins might be the sixth man on the depth chart, but he can still play. He’s 31 but consistently produced in his stints with the Bengals and Browns. It might take an injury for Hawkins to sneak on the roster, but he’s great insurance at a position where there’s rock solid depth, including a trio of youngsters who all have some promise.

It’s difficult projecting how the snaps will play out this season with so many weapons at the position, but it will sure be fun to watch.

Let’s take a look at each receiver on the roster!

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Pats Posits: We’re Back in the AFCCG!

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The Patriots overcame three giveaways, pulling away late to close out the Houston Texans 34-16 in the AFC Divisional round, just as american football betting thought they would. The Pats now await the winner of the Steelers and Chiefs as they head to their record sixth-straight AFC Championship game.

The Patriots struggled to find a rhythm on offense, but Dion Lewis was a standout, setting an NFL Playoff record by scoring touchdowns rushing, receiving and on a kickoff return. The Patriots have been managing Lewis since the summer with this moment in mind. Now, when it all counted most, Lewis was the go-to playmaker out of the backfield.

The defense was every bit as suffocating as we expected it to be against an impotent Houston offense, holding the slim Patriots lead throughout the game and coming up with three interceptions of Brock Osweiler. Logan Ryan had the game of his career, recording three passes defensed, an interception, a sack, a QB hit, a tackle-for-loss and seven tackles.

There’s plenty to dissect, but most importantly, the Patriots are one game away from the Super Bowl.

More on it all in the Posits…

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Pats Posits: Jimmy Lights It Up, Brady Gets Cut

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Okay, Brady got cut with scissors, but if you’re reading this blog you are probably well aware of that already. The Patriots offense came to life against the Bears, with Jimmy Garoppolo turning in an impressive performance (16/21 181 yards, 1 TD), behind an offensive line that didn’t allow a sack (though one was negated by a penalty).

The Patriots defense on the other hand showed some holes early, negating two third-down  stops with penalties on Patrick Chung and Justin Coleman. Still, as they often do, the Pats plugged up the early holes (Hoyer in for Cutler sure helped) and the Pats got a meaningless 23-22 win.

Here are the Posits as we hit the mid-way point of the preseason!

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5 Patriots To Watch vs. Bears

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It’s preseason week 2, and yet again all I truly care about this week is staying healthy. Aside from that it should be an interesting game, as a number of significant players are dealing with seemingly minor injuries that should hold them out of action. That means the trickle down effect should give quite a few under-the-radar types a chance to shine in more prominent roles.

Here are the five guys who I’ll be watching most closely.

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Which Patriots Must Emerge in 2016?

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Now that the Patriots’ 2016 roster is mostly set, at least at the top pending any shocker trades, the same few names keep popping up to me as those who must emerge in 2016. Whether it’s a current hole that must be filled or a long-term role that’s lacking stability, it’s essential that each season new faces rise to the occasion and cement their place as legitimate contributors.

Here’s my list:

Trey Flowers

Patriots Must EmergeThe team has a solid three-man rotation at defensive end, led by Rob Ninkovich, Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long, but two of those three are over 30 and all of them will be free agents at the end of the season. Flowers is the most promising of the young trio of backups that also includes Geneo Grissom and Rufus Johnson.

Really, I’d take any one of those three youngsters becoming a significant contributor this year, but finding snaps for more than one in actual game action will be difficult. Flowers was labelled a steal in last year’s draft and we got just a small taste of what he was capable of in limited preseason action. He played just four defensive snaps before being placed on IR in early December.

Meanwhile, Grissom had 131 snaps on defense, recording a sack and three tackles. Grissom was used primarily as an interior rusher early in the season before getting some mop up time at defensive end toward the end of the season. I remain unclear on what his true position is, but his athleticism is certainly not something we should ignore. I’m just not sure he’s going to be a blood-and-guts run-stopping defensive end, and that’s what the future need will be.

Flowers is my favorite of the bunch, the one who seems to fit the defensive end mold of Sheard and Ninkovich the closest, and most important, he’s really tough against the run. An emerging young defensive end who could be paired with a re-signed Jabaal Sheard in 2017 as starters would secure one of the most important positions on the field for the defense. Work in Grissom as a sub rusher and the Pats will have an excellent long-term outlook.

LaAdrian Waddle

I’m starting to feel like I might be beating the Waddle drum a little too loudly the last week since totally discounting him as a factor at tackle in my draft prep. Now he’s my white knight after the Patriots ignored the tackle position in the draft. I won’t say Waddle will emerge as the player I want him to be, but the potential is there.

At one point, he was one of the most athletic and promising right tackles in the game after coming out of Texas Tech and putting together two solid seasons in Detroit before tearing his ACL. If Waddle can recapture the form of those first two seasons he could steal the swing tackle spot from Marcus Cannon this season, and possibly be pencilled in as the starter at right tackle heading toward the 2017 season.

Again, these might be lofty expectations, but I feel like the entire league is headed toward having more athleticism at the right tackle spot, which has traditionally been filled by maybe the worst athlete on the field. We saw Von Miller blazing off the right edge far too much to still believe in the old dynamic of pass rushers attacking your left side and only your left side.

Waddle has plenty working for him if he’s fully healthy, including Cannon’s salary.

Chris Hogan

We saw how good the Patriots offense could be in 2014 when Brandon LaFell gave them a legitimate outside receiver who could pull some pressure away from the Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski inside. Last year, LaFell never regained that form and the Patriots passing offense suffered for it, putting extreme pressure on their key trio of threats and getting all of them injured at various points.

Hogan fits the mold LaFell did coming in and is probably even a better overall athlete that LaFell is. Whether or not his blocking is up to LaFell’s level will remain to be seen, but if Hogan’s a dud, the entire weight of this need will fall to rookie Malcolm Mitchell.

Tom Brady needing to rely on a rookie right out of the gate? Scary. But if Hogan was “always open” in Miami and Buffalo, you have to like his chances of him earning Brady’s trust and blossoming.

Tyler Gaffney

At this point I don’t really know what to expect out of Gaffney, but on paper he has everything the Pats need to round out their running back group. Dion Lewis is coming off an ACL tear. They don’t trust James White to carry the ball. LeGarrette Blount is coming off a hip injury and better served with a complimentary backfield friend. Brandon Bolden is a special teamer who can fill in, but will never be an impact running back. We’ve seen Donald Brown‘s ceiling and it’s not very high.

So yes, everyone else has their issues and Gaffney is the only real unknown who could possibly be seen as an early down back. The Patriots not only made a point to poach him from the Panthers, but by cutting then re-signing him to adjust his contract. If they saw nothing in him they would’ve just cut bait by this point. Just don’t let the highlights below get you too excited.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KclqlIkdIc

Which New England Patriots newcomer will have the biggest impact? | masslive.com

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Patriots free agent impact

The New England Patriots acquired Martellus Bennett, Chris Long, Shea McClellin, Jonathan Cooper, Chris Hogan and Donald Brown. Who makes the biggest impact?

Source: Which New England Patriots newcomer will have the biggest impact? | masslive.com

Fun read from Kevin Duffy weighing who will make the biggest impact this season of the newly-added free agents. For me, I think Chris Hogan and Martellus Bennett have the best chance to play the most of the group.

Chris Long should slide into the third defensive end role and should get plenty of action as well. An injury to Jabaal Sheard or Rob Ninkovich would elevate him into starter’s status and I’m betting he’d be ready for that challenge.

Shea McClellin should be the base middle linebacker, which is a one-to-two down role, but as we’ve seen Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins both miss significant time last year, he’s also on a paper-thin verge of an almost every-down role.

Finally Jonathan Cooper will be fascinating to watch this year. He might be the most talented guard on the roster, but that’s no guarantee he beats out the promising second-year guards. Still, if he is able to finally put it all together he could have a huge impact in transforming the Pats’ offensive line from the disaster we saw at various times last year. Pair him with Shaq Mason and the athleticism at the guard position will be through the roof.

I expect Hogan to step into the role Brandon LaFell had in 2014, playing nearly every snap as the primary X/outside receiver. Hard to predict if he’ll earn Brady’s trust the way LaFell did in 2014, if not he’ll look like LaFell in 2015. But he checks every box the Pats look for and if he can get the nickname 7-11 for always being open with shitty QBs, we can only imagine how much Brady should like him.

Bennett should pair with Gronk to form the most unstoppable tight end duo in the league. Again, there’s an element of unknown with any free agent, but on paper that duo can and should play almost every snap. The Pats have never had two tight ends quite like this, with the equal ability to block or catch passes.

If everything clicks there might not be a bigger free agent impact signing in the NFL.

Patriots Free Agency: Land DT Kearse, Sign WR Hogan to Offer Sheet

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Patriots Free Agency Chris Hogan

Things are slowly starting to ramp up for the New England Patriots in free agency. After a quiet first day, and a second day filled with visits, the team has reportedly signed Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan to an offer sheet and also signed defensive tackle Frank Kearse.

Hogan fills a definite need at the receiver spot and can be pencilled into Brandon LaFell‘s spot, for now. He checks all the boxes the Pats look for, but doesn’t come with the kind of previous production that would get fans excited. Still, he’s big, athletic and can play any of the receiver spots in the Pats system. But most importantly (to Bill Belichick), Hogan is a former lacrosse standout and can also punt. Is there anything BB loves more than lacrosse and versatility? Nope.

Now we’ll see if Hogan can truly live up to his always-open 7-11 nickname with the best quarterback he’s ever played with. That is assuming the Bills don’t move salary cap mountains to retain their third receiver. With Rex you never know.

Frank Kearse was the 53rd man on the Redskins last year. Again, that gets no one excited but if you read this article about the kind of player he is you’ll quickly understand why the Patriots pursued him. In a lot of ways the signing of Kearse embodies what I ranted about earlier today with the Pats and free agency. Kearse isn’t being pencilled into a starters spot, but you know if injuries strike he’s going to be ready, working his tail off and will compete his ass off.