The New England Patriots’ offense in total will be very different in 2020. Your gigantic group of receivers may not be.
And so far, through a week of educational camp, this is a positive conclusion.
The Patriots completely ignored their receiver open this low season in the hope that N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu would make primary advances in the off-season. They signed the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals to Damiere Byrd, then added intriguing undrafted loose agents in the draft to the position, moving to one of the most talented open receivers draft categories in recent memory.
The effects so far are beautiful, and that deserves to be a fear for a team that has struggled to gather a lot of receivers over the more than 3 seasons.
It didn’t matter in 2018 that the Patriots were so desperate for a hole they changed for Josh Gordon because Tom Brady was in charge and he could succeed over the deficit. They won Super Bowl 53. However, it was a problem in 2019 when Phillip Dorsett, now a member of the Seattle Seahawks, finished the moment with only 29 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdowns. Aside from Julian Edelman, no open receiver started more than six games for the Patriots last season while searching for contributors.
Maybe players like Sanu and Harry will be more successful with the possible Cam Newton opener than with Brady. But the entire reception frame has not warmed up at the education camp this summer. And a projected initial unit of Edelman, Sanu and Harry seriously lacks speed. A player like Byrd has the juice to take over a defense, but he’s not necessarily one of the team’s most productive receivers.
Here’s our most productive view of the player in the group:
Julian Edelman: He remains by far the most productive open receiver in the educational field of patriots. The challenge with Edelman is sustainability. He’s betting so much he’s going to get high. He played all 16 games last season and had one of the most productive years of his career. But he also hit only thirteen passes for thirteen7 yards in his last four games of the season, adding the Patriots’ loss in the preliminary round to the Tennessee Titans.
Mohamed Sanu: If we are totally and brutally honest, then Sanu gave the impression slowly in the education camp. It is not known whether Sanu’s lack of speed is similar to the ankle surgery he underwent in low season or whether it is only his speed at this level of his career. He’s still a technically competent receiver, but he won’t gain much separation.
N’Keal Harry: Harry took a big step forward on Monday by making three key pieces. He grabbed a 1-on-1 rear-shouldered fade over Joejuan Williams, then hit touchdowns on indirect, melted roads in corner jc Jackson. That was after Harry missed three practice sessions at the end of last week. As a first-round pick in 2019, he is the open receiver on the Patriots roster with the highest cap, but will have to continue to progress and avoid hurting himself. Harry put in only 12 passes for 105 yards with two touchdowns last season. He has the ability to be number one, but he’ll have to make a leap in the primaries to play that way this season.
Damiere Byrd: Byrd can turbocharge the Patriots’ offense thanks to his speed, and he’s had good luck in deep balls this summer. But in general, its functionality has been asymmetrical and has problems with the downward touch due to its thin structure. He’s probably the most productive used as a situational actor.
Gunner Olszewski: Play as the second-best receiver in the camp, however, it’s more an indictment of the group’s notable lack of functionality than a vote of confidence in the former Division II corner. He came temporarily out of the punch line, was fast in short cuts, inflated the off-season and showed some versatility in position to play outdoors and in. In this sense, he is closer to Edelman than a Wes Welker player or Danny Amendola. He was also the Patriots’ consistent kick returner. He has had some disruptions to falls and escapes in the attack, and does not gain a ton of disputed targets, yet we deserve to expect imperfections from those who are too small. It still has many advantages.
Jakobi Meyers: It’s been a difficult camp for Meyers, who has been limited in recent sessions. Even before he left the exercises, Meyers struggled to distance himself from the group. Your position on the list is strangely dubious right now.
Devin Ross: Ross has had some notable moments, however, he remains a veteran player of the team. Its descent to the hitting line is nice, however, it is too small and is a burner.
Isaiah Zuber: The undrafted loose agent from the state of Mississippi and the state of Kansas had many opportunities to get injured at the station. He missed too many passes and failed to stand out.
Will Hastings: Hastings has been limited since the start of the education camp, which is unfortunate because it’s an intriguing slot device option with awesome rapids. Patriots can simply hide it to some extent in an attempt to hide it on the practice team.
Jeff Thomas: Speaking of which, Thomas also noticed a little in education this summer. Like Hastings, Thomas is too small but exciting with a superior roof. It would have been great to see him show his ability to play this summer, but the off-season is truncated and time runs out.
If we had to guess now, then Edelman, Sanu, Harry, Byrd, Olszewksi and maybe Meyers will be part of the team. But this is only because there is no other competition. The Patriots would have benefited from Marqise Lee’s presence at the camp, but decided not to take part in the season. With a full low season, Thomas or Hastings might have contributed, but that’s unlikely right now.
Perhaps this receiver organization can be much more successful with Newton in the middle than with Brady. Maybe it’s less difficult and more patient. But players must show a primary progression once the season begins.
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