New England Patriots Rumors: Why a Chris Hogan return could be valuable

New England Patriots veteran safety Devin McCourty is lobbying for the return of wide receiver Chris Hogan. Here is why a reunion could be beneficial.

The New England Patriots need a massive facelift at the wide receiver position and part of that upgrade may involve bringing back some familiarity to the offense, at least that is what of the team’s top defenders believe.

With Tom Brady taking his Hall-of-Fame talents to the NFC South, Patriots veteran safety Devin McCourty believes the team needs to bring back an old face to help the offense transition into its next chapter, and he is pitching for no other than Chris Hogan.

During the latest episode of their podcast “Double Coverage”, Devin, along with his brother Jason McCourty begin their campaign for the former Lacrosse player who earned the nickname “7-Eleven” prior to joining the New England Patriots back in 2016.

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"“You heard it here first, man: Chris Hogan back to New England.  We get him back there, we got 7-Eleven, always open.  We’ve got a new quarterback, let’s bring back an old target back,” McCourty said, as transcribed by NESN.com.  “That’s what we do in New England.  LeGarrette [Blount] came back, next thing you know, 18 touchdowns.  That’s what happens in New England.  Deion Branch came back in 2010, touchdowns everywhere.  So New England, get a head start.  Start your articles now.  It’s 8:47. Devin has said it.”"

I’m sure Patriots fans would rather hear a name like Odell Beckham Jr. heading the upheaval, but with a current depth chart of Julian Edelman, Mohammed Sanu, N’Keal Harry, Jacoby Meyers, Damiere Byrd and Gunner Olszewski, bringing Hogan back may not be a bad idea for a couple reasons.

During his three-year stint with the Patriots, Hogan did take a while to mesh with Tom Brady, but when he did have some crutch performances, including some big catches during the team’s three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including victories in Super Bowl LI and LIII

At 32 years old and coming off a knee injury that sidelined him most of the 2019 season in Carolina, Chris Hogan is not going to excite fans or put fear into any opponents, but he does know the offense and would take some of the pressure off Edelman as far as experience goes and he could also help with leadership.

With the team expected to draft a receiver or two, having Julian Edelman, Sanu and Hogan as mentors would be valuable for a New England Patriots offense that will be going into a season with a quarterback not named Tom Brady for the first time since 2001.

So, while it is unfair to put Hogan in the category of LeGarrette Blount and Deion Branch as far as production may go, he is a veteran receiver who could fill a role in a transition year for the Patriots.

We know Bill Belichick likes him and obviously former teammates like Devin McCourty feel he can come in and at least help with leadership on the offensive side of the football.  He also adds some depth in case Edelman goes down or even if Mohammed Sanu fails to catch on in his first full season in New England.

Of course, just a week before the 2020 NFL Draft, the wide receiver depth chart as it currently stands could drastically change.  Whether that is through trades or releasing players, that facelift will happen in some form.  While Chris Hogan won’t beautify the pass-catching group, he is a player who can help provide a foundation.

In that respect, there is some agreement with Devin McCourty.  An old target can help build new targets into something special.  On a New England Patriots team where “Do Your Job” is the motto, a hand-worker like Hogan still has some value.