As far as stockpiling weapons for Mac Jones this past offseason, there was no way Bill Belichick could have matched 2021, in which he spent like a sailor on leave for the likes of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith at tight and Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne at receiver. You’re talking about nearly $80 million in guaranteed money there.
That doesn’t mean the Patriots were satisfied. In fact, the moves at the receiver spots this year were a bit more than subtle. And they were more than just tweaks.
As camp is thrust upon us in a matter of days, the potential roster battles from a deep, and what should be a pretty darn competitive group, will unfold, twisting and turning on a daily basis.
There is no Randy Moss, Wes Welker or Julian Edelman to be found in the Patriots receiver corps. No Rob Gronkowski at tight end.
The job for Belichick, Joe Judge, Matt Patricia and whoever else has a say in the offense this year will be to find the gamers and sift out the pretenders. The depth of this crowd should make those final decisions more difficult than most years.
Between receivers and tight ends, there are 15 players most likely competing for 8-9 spots.
It should make for some fun and drama as things unfold in August and most likely for a surprise or two on the final cutdown day in September.
We look at the receiver/tight end group today, adding them to the quarterbacks and running backs. Still to come are the offensive line, interior defensive line, edge players, linebackers and finally defensive backs.
1. DeVante Parker
Buy his stock: A first-round pick by the Dolphins in 2015, Parker adds status and immediate legitimacy to this group. He’s a field-stretcher with a 1,200-yard season (2019) and 24 career TDs to his credit.
Sell, sell, sell: The question remains. Why would a division foe hand a guy who averages 48 catches for 675 yards a year to the Patriots?
Longo says: Parker is what New England expected out of the recently traded N’Keal Harry. He’s big at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. He competes hard for the football. He’s got NFL cache.
2. Jakobi Meyers
Buy his stock: Since he arrived in Foxborough as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Meyers has done everything you could ask. He reliably moves the chains, gets open on third down and even found a way into the end zone, catching his first two TDs in 2021.
Sell, sell, sell: Only one red flag here, and it probably speaks less to Meyers than it does the team’s salary cap situation. Meyers was a restricted free agent in the offseason and signed the second-round tender offer of just under $4 million for a year. It would have shown a little bit more if Belichick committed to Meyers on a longer-term deal.
Longo says: He’s probably not a No. 2 receiver in a high-powered NFL offense, but Meyers is a rock-solid No. 3 on any team in the game.
3. Hunter Henry
Buy his stock: Once he and Mac got to know each other, the relationship blossomed a year ago. Reliable. He was a better blocker than many expected. And his production, especially in the red zone (9 TD catches) was perfect for a rookie quarterback.
Sell, sell, sell: In a career where Henry has gotten dinged up at times – he’d never played in 16 games before last year – you wonder if he can match the durability he displayed in 2021.
Longo says: Hard not to like what this guy brought to the offense a year ago. His ability to flex outside and beat press coverage might really fit as this offense evolves from the Josh McDaniels-led attack and takes a bit of a different look.
4. Kendrick Bourne
Buy his stock: Again, excellent return on investment here. Versatile, he was a threat in the speed sweep game, rushing 12 times. Set career-best a year ago with 55 catches for 800 yards. Then tossed in a two-TD playoff game against the Bills.
Sell, sell, sell: At times you had to ask, why is he not on the field? Bourne played 51.8 percent of the offensive snaps. Trusting that the Patriots coaching staff knows its stuff, you have to wonder why, at least just a little bit.
Longo says: Overachievers don’t just show up on your doorstep in the NFL. He joins Meyers in adding a voracious hunger to succeed. Remembering he sat for nearly half of this team’s offensive plays a year ago and still racked up those numbers, you have to consider Bourne an integral piece going forward.
5. Tyquan Thornton
Buy his stock: Speed game is his forte. It’s where the NFL is headed. There’s a reason Belichick rose up and drafted this kid in Round 2.
Sell, sell, sell: The Patriots may be giving him a pound or five by listing him at 182. He looks thin and you wonder about the rigors of the NFL schedule and what it could do to him.
Longo says: All reports from OTAs and mini-camp are that the kid can fly. Does it translate with pads on? That’s why they play the games. High-level rewards here if he brings it.
6. Jonnu Smith
Buy his stock: The price is right. He’s invested in himself and the team, immersing himself in the offseason program. More importantly, the team needs him to step up as it moves away from two-back sets and eliminates the fullback role.
Sell, sell, sell: The numbers were similar to what he did in Tennessee, but it just felt like in 2021, Smith authored a series of bobbles, drops, fumbles and missed opportunities.
Longo says: He’s such a pivotal figure to the success of this offense. The second tight end – as long as he is a viable weapon – provides so much stress on opposing defenses. You just hope that Smith has the skill and the will to succeed, as much as everyone in these parts expects.
7. Ty Montgomery
Buy his stock: Versatility is Belichick’s No. 2 trait after availability. You know the coach has been watching this guy from afar, wondering what if?
Sell, sell, sell: New England is now the fifth team attempting to tap into his multi-talents.
Longo says: Green Bay had the most success with Montgomery, but it feels like that 800-plus yard season (rushing/receiving) in 2016 was a lifetime ago. The thought here is that Montgomery offers some insurance on James White’s hip while challenging Bourne for some time in his outside role. If any coach can re-kindle the magic, it’s Belichick.
8. Nelson Agholor
Buy his stock: The contract will keep him here. New England has to hope he can locate his best game and work his way back into the picture as a third receiver.
Sell, sell, sell: For a guy making $11 million a year, 2021 was an absolute nightmare. He caught 37 balls for 473 yards and did his best work in September, melting down the stretch with six catches total in December and January.
Longo says: Agholor got chased out of Philly for failing to live up to the potential of a first-round pick. You get the feeling he’s going to disappoint here as well.
9. Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Buy his stock: You have to love the size of this kid at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. He’s a legit deep threat.
Sell, sell, sell: Word out of New Orleans that he struggled off the line in tight man coverage. Has to be better in that part of the game.
Longo says: Perhaps he’s the true wild card in this entire bunch. Humphrey took advantage of some 2021 opportunity in New Orleans and showed he can play the game a little bit. Of course, that may have been out of desperation due to injuries on the roster. Still, there is a resume and a chance.
10. Tre Nixon
Buy his stock: He turned some heads in the mini-camp sessions, making the media gathered take note of the seventh-round pick.
Sell, sell, sell: Nixon fought through more than his share of injuries in college. You can take his resilience as a positive, but in the NFL, staying on the field is half the battle.
Longo says: He could make a heck of a story, at least in August when his considerable athletic ability will make Nixon easy to root for. But just how long and against what level of competition can he sustain that?
11. Kristian Wilkerson
Buy his stock: Shows a bit of wiggle, always a good thing. Outstanding attitude and work ethic. There’s a reason he’s stuck on the practice squad here over two seasons.
Sell, sell, sell: Pushing the limits of his athletic talents here.
Longo says: He’s had opportunities, and honestly, he’s flashed, albeit in extremely brief instances – all four career catches and two TDs vs. Jacksonville last year. The improved depth in this receiving corps is bad news for him, though.
12. Malcolm Perry
Buy his stock: The converted quarterback out of the Naval Academy checks all the Belichick boxes – except the one for a lacrosse player.
Sell, sell, sell: At best, he remains a project, fighting through injury woes as he learns the position.
Longo says: His status certainly hinges on how his body has recovered. Another outstanding guy to root for, high character, over-achiever, willing to give you all he has.
13. Devin Asiasi
Buy his stock: If you look hard enough, you can find spots where you think he might have a shot. He’s been all right in some second-half preseason work. Perhaps, he’s a late bloomer, but the clock is most certainly running.
Sell, sell, sell: Played in one game last year without a catch. The lack of development is painful at times to endure from the third-rounder in 2020.
Longo says: The good news is that the Patriots will likely keep three tight ends. The bad news is that Asiasi has had opportunities here already and not taken advantage of it.
14. Matt Sokol
Buy his stock: Size, at 6-foot-5 and 250, will keep Sokol on the fringe of NFL rosters. He can block in the run game with anyone tight end on this roster.
Sell, sell, sell: Part of the tight-end job description is getting open and catching the football. Sokol has not done a ton of that.
Longo says: If this team cuts ties with either Dalton Keene or Devin Asiasi, Sokols' sturdiness might be something to eye when it comes to the practice squad.
15. Dalton Keene
Buy his stock: Tough to find positives with a former third-round pick who has three career catches in two injury-riddled seasons. He needs to get healthy, and perhaps desperation will be his greatest attribute.
Sell, sell, sell: In your third season, the “third-round pick has to get a chance” washes away. Not going to protect him now.
Longo says: Keene is the longest of longshots to make the club in this group.