New England Patriots Preview: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

New England Patriots make their preseason debut Thursday night and both players and fans are excited.

Although football fans across the nation were disappointed by the cancellation of Sunday’s Pro Football Hall of Fame game, they should not worry as the new NFL preseason opener is fast approaching. All teams, including the New England Patriots, will take the field this Thursday, and the excitement will be very high among both players and fans.

Previously, I took a look at New England’s quarterbacks, running backs, and offensive line. In the coming days, I will examine the team’s defensive line, linebackers and defensive backs.

In this edition of my 2016 Patriots Preview, I will take a look at the guys who turn many of Tom Brady’s passes into long gains and block hard on running plays – the wide receivers and tight ends. This group of pass catchers has been perfectly tailored to the Patriots’ offensive strategy, with speedy receivers to snag short passes and massive tight ends to out-muscle defenders on throws down the field. The New England Patriots may have the hardest group of pass catchers to cover in the entire NFL, as they don’t have just one dominant pass catcher, but have many receivers with unique skill sets.

Wide Receivers Currently on the Patriots Roster: Danny Amendola, DeAndre Carter, Aaron Dobson, Julian Edelman, Chris Harper, Chris Hogan Devin Lucien, Keshawn Martin, Malcolm Mitchell, Matthew Slater, Nate Washington

Jul 30, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) high fives a fan after training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

Headlining the wide receiver group is 5’10” slot receiver Julian Edelman. When he is not filming Boston police videos with teammate Danny Amendola, he is one of Brady’s go-to guys on critical plays because he can catch passes in tight windows while absorbing hard hits and can also take screens down the field for long gains. Last season, Edelman had 61 receptions and 692 yards because he was hampered by injuries and could only play 9 regular season games.

He was recently activated off of the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list, and the Patriots are seriously hoping that he can stay healthy this year. Amendola’s skill set is very similar to Edelman’s, so he can be very valuable to the team if Edelman needs rest or is out due to injury. Amendola proved himself this past season by stepping up when Edelman was hurt, finishing the 2016 regular season with 648 yards on 65 catches. Every year, there are always people who believe that Amendola may be cut during the offseason, but I doubt that this will happen because he showed in 2015 that he can be a key contributor when Edelman is sidelined.

New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

Free agent additions Nate Washington and Chris Hogan also have solid chances to contribute to the receiving game. Washington performed surprisingly well last year despite a shaky quarterback situation in Houston last year by catching 47 passes for 658 yards and 4 touchdowns. The 2016 season will be his 12th in the NFL and the Patriots will be his fourth NFL team, so his veteran experience in multiple offensive systems could help him make an easier adjustment to New England’s complicated offense. Hogan is possibly the the most intriguing wide receiver signing by the Patriots this offseason.

He played his first four years in the league with the Buffalo Bills, and had 450 receiving yards, 36 receptions, and 2 touchdowns last year. At age 27, he still has his prime years ahead of him and his 6’1″, 210 lb build is similar to the size of Deandre Hopkins (6’1″, 218 lbs) . If he keeps working on his strength, that kind of size will allow him to out-muscle smaller defensive backs on the outside and to blossom into a deep threat weapon for New England. He has already shown flashes of this skill set.

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Aaron Dobson was the New England Patriots 2013 3rd round draft pick, but he has not lived up to expectations in his first few years with the team. The Patriots hoped that he could become a valuable outside receiver because of his 6-3 height, but he has not done so and 2016 could be a make-or-break season for him. Rookies Devin Lucien and Malcolm Mitchell are two other players to keep an eye on, as they may catch the attention of the coaching staff and have significant roles this season.

Finally, Deandre Carter, Chris Harper, and Keshawn Martin all need to impress the coaches to be impactful parts of the Partiots offense in 2016, and special teams stud Matthew Slater is a lock to make the team due to his role as the special teams captain.

Tight Ends Currently on the Patriots Roster: Martellus Bennett, A.J. Derby, Rob Gronkowski, Clay Harbor, Bear Pascoe, Steven Scheu, Bryce Williams.

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Despite nationwide hatred of the Patriots, almost all football fans can confidently say that the Patriots have the most talented group of tight ends in the NFL. They are led by 6-6, 265 lb monster Rob Gronkowski. Known by many names including “Gronk” and “Yo Soy Fiesta”, Gronkowski has already established himself as one of the best tight ends in the history of the NFL and may go on to be the single greatest one ever.

He has 5555 receiving yards and and 65 TD in only 6 seasons, and had 1176 yards and 11 touchdowns just last year. Gronkowski has been vital to the success of the New England Patriots offense throughout his career, as he has a combination of brute force, quickness, and agility that makes him a nightmare for opposing teams to cover.

As if one 6’6″ tight end wasn’t enough, the Patriots traded for the 275 lb Martellus Bennett during the offseason. The former Chicago Bear had 439 yards and 53 catches last year, and is only a year removed from catching 90 passes for 916 yards.

Bennett and Gronk form a dominant tight end tandem, allowing the Patriots to run two tight end formations which will be very tough to guard. Instead of just focusing on shutting down Gronkowski, who usually draws double coverage, the Patriots’ opponents will need to cover Gronkowski and Bennett, while also worrying about Julian Edelman and Dion Lewis.

Making this situation even better is the fact that Gronkowski and Bennett are both complete tight ends. They aren’t just tall receivers lining up as tight ends, like Seattle’s Jimmy Graham. Instead, both of them can use their size and strength to be powerful run blockers, essentially serving as extra offensive lineman on running plays. Just imagine playing the Patriots and not knowing whether they are going to run the ball with eight massive blockers or pass the ball with quick slot receivers and behemoth tight ends running routes.

Having both Gronkowski and Bennett drawing pressure from opposing defenses also eases the pressure on both of them individually, reducing the risk of injury for these tight ends. The other tight ends on the roster will serve as depth behind Gronkowski and Bennett, and former Jaguar Clay Harbor may be able to step up in case one of these two is injured.

If New England’s pass catchers manage to stay healthy, they can play a pivotal role in carrying the team to a Super Bowl appearance.

Keep it locked here at Chowder and Champions for only the best New England Patriots coverage and look out for my next preview of New England’s defensive line and linebackers.

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