Patriots Free Agency Rumors: The case against re-signing Phillip Dorsett

Why the New England Patriots should not re-sign veteran wide receiver Phillip Dorsett.

The New England Patriots desperately need to upgrade their wide receiver group if they have any plans on bring back the great Tom Brady in 2020.  A part of that upgrade may involve parting ways with a receiver that has been a nice little target for Brady over the last couple seasons.

In fact, Phillip Dorsett had his best statistical season for the Patriots in 2019 hauling in 29 passes on 54 targets for 397 yards and five touchdowns.  The number of targets really stand out as Dorsett was targeted by Brady more.

But that was a good and bad thing in 2019.

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First, it meant that Tom Brady had some trust in Dorsett, especially after that Week 1 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which the University of Miami product racked up nearly 100 yards in receiving yards and two scores in the team’s opening win.

Secondly, it also meant that the Patriots were devoid of receivers.  Due to injury and things not going well for both Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon, Dorsett became at times Brady’s most reliable target.  If that somehow ends up being the case in 2020, that means the New England Patriots haven’t did much to upgrade their weapons and it will also mean no Tom Brady.

In all, that’s no knock on Phillip Dorsett, but an upgrade at the position means he will be the odd man out.

Let Phillip Dorsett walk

Going into the offseason, the New England Patriots have Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers under contract.  Bringing Phillip Dorsett back is simply not a top priority unless he comes back on another cheap one-year deal and battles for a No. 4 spot on the depth chart.

And that is exactly what Dorsett is.  He is a nice depth wide receiver who can come in the game and make plays.  If he is relied on to be anything more than that, then any team signing him will be in for a big disappointment.

As for the New England Patriots and their needs, signing or trading for a No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver is a top priority.  Drafting wide receiver talent is another priority.  They also need to develop both N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers.  That doesn’t leave much room to bring back a player like Dorsett, unless he niches a role on Special Teams.

Overall, Phillip Dorsett has had some nice moments during his tenure in New England, but it’s time to move on from a player who hasn’t been able to capitalize on his opportunity to be more than a No. 3 or No. 4 option.