3 reasons the Pats won't take WR early in the draft
A lot has been made in recent weeks over the depleted receiving corps on the current Patriots roster. I wrote the other day about how Gronk's injury further increases the need at the position, and I still believe that a piece needs to be added at the position before the season begins. If not, I think we could be in for another season reminiscent of when Brady had Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel as his go-to guys.
The 2007 Patriots were perhaps the best pure offense in the history of the league. A big part of that was Randy Moss' big play ability and also the fact he drew a ton of attention; opening things up over the middle. The Patriots aren't going to find an '07 Moss-like talent between now and the start of next season; but I think they could at the very least find someone that defenses have to worry about.
The free agent pool at WR is thin (Danario!). A number of visits recently by receivers entering the upcoming draft indicate the Patriots may be looking to add depth that way. These players include DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson), Kenny Stills (Oklahoma), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), and Markus Wheaton (Oregon State).
That being said, there are a number of reasons why it is highly unlikely the Patriots would use their first or second round pick on a receiver:
1) They never do: If history is any indication, the Patriots tend to shy away from receivers early in the draft. Can anyone guess the last player they took at the position in the first round? You would have to go all the way back to 1997 when the team used their 7th overall pick on Terry Glenn. So if they do decide to use a first round pick on a wideout this year; it would certainly be out of character.
2) Bigger needs on defense: While receiver is an area of concern, I believe the other side of the ball still needs significantly more improvement than the offense. With Brady at the helm and some good weapons around him, I tend to think the offense will be okay, barring some major injuries. But the defense, particularly the secondary, has been mediocre at best in recent seasons. Corner, safety, and D-end are three positions I could see the Patriots using early round picks on to help bolster the defense next year, before they use one on a receiver.
3) The position is overvalued: A great article was written today demonstrating why the receiver position is the most overvalued in the sport. The article is well-supported by facts and statistics, and is definitely worth a read. The central argument is that while receivers are perhaps the sports flashiest, most exciting and electrifying players; they do not do enough in the grand scheme of things:
Obviously this thinking seems to be in one way or another tied into the Patriots draft-day decision making and overarching philosophy. Recent years have shown they see higher value in the tight end position (where they have made great decisions) than the receiver position. And if there is anything we know about the Patriots, it's that they are always looking to find the best value. And often talented wide receivers come with a big price tag that they simply do not believe is worth it.
They could have had Brandon Lloyd back for next to nothing, but they let him walk because of his erratic behavior, despite the fact he had a productive year. They could have had Wes Welker, one of, if not the, most productive receivers in team history back for next to nothing. And he's gone too. These decisions and one look at their current roster, should be more than enough evidence to show that the Patriots don't place a value receivers, especially those who operate primarily outside of the numbers.
The Patriots may very well draft a receiver. But don't expect it to be in the early going. Let's just hope they can avoid selecting the likes of Bethel Johnson, Brandon Tate, Chad Jackson, Taylor Price etc.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
The 2007 Patriots were perhaps the best pure offense in the history of the league. A big part of that was Randy Moss' big play ability and also the fact he drew a ton of attention; opening things up over the middle. The Patriots aren't going to find an '07 Moss-like talent between now and the start of next season; but I think they could at the very least find someone that defenses have to worry about.
The free agent pool at WR is thin (Danario!). A number of visits recently by receivers entering the upcoming draft indicate the Patriots may be looking to add depth that way. These players include DeAndre Hopkins (Clemson), Kenny Stills (Oklahoma), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), and Markus Wheaton (Oregon State).
That being said, there are a number of reasons why it is highly unlikely the Patriots would use their first or second round pick on a receiver:
1) They never do: If history is any indication, the Patriots tend to shy away from receivers early in the draft. Can anyone guess the last player they took at the position in the first round? You would have to go all the way back to 1997 when the team used their 7th overall pick on Terry Glenn. So if they do decide to use a first round pick on a wideout this year; it would certainly be out of character.
 |
| Terry Glenn was the last WR the Pats picked in the first round |
2) Bigger needs on defense: While receiver is an area of concern, I believe the other side of the ball still needs significantly more improvement than the offense. With Brady at the helm and some good weapons around him, I tend to think the offense will be okay, barring some major injuries. But the defense, particularly the secondary, has been mediocre at best in recent seasons. Corner, safety, and D-end are three positions I could see the Patriots using early round picks on to help bolster the defense next year, before they use one on a receiver.
3) The position is overvalued: A great article was written today demonstrating why the receiver position is the most overvalued in the sport. The article is well-supported by facts and statistics, and is definitely worth a read. The central argument is that while receivers are perhaps the sports flashiest, most exciting and electrifying players; they do not do enough in the grand scheme of things:
Wide receivers are overvalued for one basic reason: they simply do not touch the ball enough to justify big money or high draft picks.Let's look at it this way: Detroit’s Calvin Johnson is fresh off perhaps the greatest individual receiving season in NFL history, as noted above, with 122 catches and a record 1,964 yards.But even HE spent 94 percent of every snap on the sidelines or as a high-priced decoy. Johnson's 122 catches equals 7.6 touches per game. There are about 130 snaps (65 per team) per NFL game. So even the greatest wide receivers touch the ball on fewer than 6 percent of all snaps. They are OVERVALUED, folks. Don’t you see it?
Obviously this thinking seems to be in one way or another tied into the Patriots draft-day decision making and overarching philosophy. Recent years have shown they see higher value in the tight end position (where they have made great decisions) than the receiver position. And if there is anything we know about the Patriots, it's that they are always looking to find the best value. And often talented wide receivers come with a big price tag that they simply do not believe is worth it.
They could have had Brandon Lloyd back for next to nothing, but they let him walk because of his erratic behavior, despite the fact he had a productive year. They could have had Wes Welker, one of, if not the, most productive receivers in team history back for next to nothing. And he's gone too. These decisions and one look at their current roster, should be more than enough evidence to show that the Patriots don't place a value receivers, especially those who operate primarily outside of the numbers.
The Patriots may very well draft a receiver. But don't expect it to be in the early going. Let's just hope they can avoid selecting the likes of Bethel Johnson, Brandon Tate, Chad Jackson, Taylor Price etc.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
