New England Patriots 2021 offensive playbook: Who stays, who goes

The New England Patriots need receivers

This section will actually serve as an adjunct to Newton’s review since the players in this unit of the New England Patriots were intrinsic to how he ultimately performed.

This is the group that determined that Newton would have a down year passing the football. They just weren’t good enough. Their best player, a 100-catch performer in 2019 for Tom Brady was the inimitable Julian Edelman.

He is not only a virtually immediate Patriots’ Hall-of-Famer along with the signature red jacket, but Edelman should also be in line for the yellow suit jacket of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well.

He’s been that good and that valuable to the New England Patriots for that long.

The Patriots not only missed his on-field performance, but also his leadership role in that unit. Unfortunately for the Patriots, injury caught up to the fiery Edelman early this season and reduced his effectiveness when he was actually on the field before sidelining him completely. That unfortunate set of events hamstrung Newton completely as he lost his best weapon, really his only legitimate NFL-capable wide receiver.

Absent a trade deadline move (there were none) to bolster this grouping, Newton and the Patriots’ hopes without him were sunk. Edelman should retire as a Patriot. If he does this offseason (or they cut or trade him), they’ll save about $3.5M on the cap.

Alternatively, he could head south to Tampa to team with Brady again. Here’s hoping that if he plays, he stays.

The major acquisition of the little productive offseason was Damiere Byrd.

Byrd wasn’t actually a household name when they acquired him yet actually acquitted himself reasonably well. But as they say in Foxborough, he is what he is. He’s a decent receiver who at times can do a nice job but he’s not going to set the NFL on fire on a weekly basis. His pedestrian statistics of 46 catches for 597 yards in 15 games with only one touchdown tell the story. Just OK.

He did have a great game against the Houston Texans however hauling in 6 passes for 132 yards. Too bad he couldn’t replicate that performance more often. Byrd is a third or fourth receiver and a free agent. It’s a toss-up if it’s worth resigning him.

Jakobi Meyers has had a breakout season of sorts. He has caught 53 for 661 yards in 13 games.  Not a bad return for a second-year undrafted free agent.

Conversely, N’Keal Harry, a first-round pick continues to underachieve with only 31 catches to-date for 292 in 13 games. Harry has now underperformed with two former MVP quarterbacks trying to get him the ball. That doesn’t bode well for either his future with the club or New England’s continued abysmal drafting of early-round wide receivers.

All-in-all this group is nowhere near a top-level NFL receiving corps, quite the opposite. They are one of the league’s worst. They need a massive infusion of talent this offseason.

Edelman stays (if he wants), Meyers stays. Byrd and Harry should go.