Eric Decker announces retirement - what's next for New England at WR?

So much for Eric Decker.

On Sunday, the veteran receiver announced that he was retiring from football, leaving the Patriots after just three-plus weeks. Decker, 31, had struggled to get on the same page with the rest of the offense, and had multiple drops in his relatively brief career with New England.

Despite his struggles, there was a school of thought that the Patriots would keep him around simply because they are thin at the position after the offseason losses of Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks and Malcolm Mitchell, as well as the recent release of Kenny Britt. (An issue that's compounded by the four-game suspension for Julian Edelman to start the regular season.) But it was not to be for the former Bronco, Jet and Titan, who will leave the game with 439 regular-season receptions in eight years in the league.

BSJ analysis: So what does all this mean for the Patriots moving forward?



His recent struggles certainly created the expectation that Decker wouldn't have a sizable role in the offense -- he was out there in the fourth quarter of Friday's preseason game -- so it's not a colossal offensive loss. But while the presence of elite pass catchers like tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back James White can alleviate depth issues at wide receiver, the simple fact is that the Patriots are starting to run out of bodies at the position. (At least until Edelman gets back from his four-game suspension to open the regular season.)

The locks to start the season: Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson. Who could get more of a look now that Decker is gone? Of the receivers they do have in the facility, youngster Devin Lucien (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) has a (relatively) similar body type and skill set to the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Decker, which means he could see an uptick in chances over the coming week. He doesn't have the resume, but could get more of a chance going forward. And while Patterson (6-foot-2, 228 pounds) doesn't necessarily have the same sort of skill set, his body type is similar, and there are enough comparisons there where he could also see more action.

It's also worth mentioning that Decker was thought to be a slot possibility, and while Braxton Berrios and Riley McCarron are smaller than Decker, with him no longer in the picture, they could see more chances as a result specific to the slot. McCarron has strung together a couple of pretty good weeks. One other name to remember? Jacob Hollister. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, the youngster is, in some ways, a tight end in a big receiver's body. First and foremost a pass-catcher, he's had an excellent offseason, and could be poised for more chances out of two-tight end sets, at least now that Decker is officially out of the picture.

In addition, I'd expect more talk about the likes of an addition via free agency or trade between now and the start of the season. Don't expect the Dez Bryant or Demaryius Thomas conversation to slow anytime soon. There's also the possibility of a veteran like Jeremy Maclin.

Regardless of what happens, the guy who deserves a break is wide receivers coach Chad O'Shea, who has had to work with a rotating cast of characters since the end of the 2017 season.