Apparently it doesn't matter who the quarterback is for the Patriots, or even if the team has played only one game, the most popular season in New England each fall is #WeaponzSzn.
Despite the season-opening win over the Dolphins on Sunday, Patriots fans wasted no time wanting more firepower come Monday and Tuesday.
Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. — on the annual wishlist when Tom Brady was here, and a workout buddy of Cam Newton — may be traded from the Browns, according to Mike Francesa.
Bears receiver Allen Robinson removed all references to the Bears from his social media and may or may not have requested a trade.
And Patriots Twitter was off, faster than any season with Brady.
So that's where we are. And it leads to some natural questions:
Should the Patriots be in the WR market?
Should they be interested in Beckham or Robinson?
We'll get into it, but here's the big takeaway: the Patriots should not be interested in Robinson ... not if they have any faith in N'Keal Harry.
Why?
Well, first let's address the question of whether or not the Patriots need to add a receiver.
My answer is if Damiere Byrd is going to play 88 percent of snaps and not earn one target, then absolutely.
In years past (not last year, I wanted Antonio Brown on short money if he could behave himself), I wasn't high on adding a vertical threat because Brady excelled at the horizontal and quick passing game. Just get him receivers who can catch the ball and get open.
But now, in this offense with Newton ... they need that speed element.
As teams get more and more film on the Patriots, defenses are going to compress the field and worry only about the running game. They are going to attack Julian Edelman and Harry. The Patriots desperately need a speed element on the outside to threaten the defense and space them out (and to carry the ball on occasion). That's supposed to be Byrd. Still might be. Internally they were certain Byrd was going to be a big upgrade over Phillip Dorsett. After seeing Byrd in camp, I had my doubts. He rarely made any big plays down the field. His goose egg in Week 1 didn't allay my fears. Maybe that was just the gameplan, or maybe Dolphins CB Byron Jones is going to be an All-Pro.
So, yes, the Patriots should be in the market for a receiver, preferably one that can win down the field and be a concern to defensive coordinators.
But not Robinson.
Harry and Robinson are basically the same receiver — at least in theory (yes, I realize Robinson averaged 51.4 catches per season and 13.4 yards per reception in seven seasons, while Harry has 17 career catches had averages 8.5 yards per reception). Physically, they're almost identical. These are their results from the scouting combine:
Watching some Robinson film backs up the similarity in playing style.
But, of course, it's never just about the field with Beckham. He's been a handful for now two teams to deal with (sound familiar?). And there's the issue of his contract. Beckham gets paid $14 million per season through 2023. Maybe for one year, you could get the Browns to pay a bonus in return for a higher return on the deal. But I don't think the Patriots are going to want to inherit that deal.
Would I take him? Absolutely — if he's going to behave.
But, likely, the Patriots will continue on the hunt — while monitoring the progress of Harry and Byrd — during #WeaponzSzn.