BRISSETT TRADE NETS SPEEDSTER
Nab Dorsett to help with PR, WR depth
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was never in danger of being released, but the Patriots knew he’d have some value on the trade market.
The Patriots yesterday sent Brissett to the Colts in exchange for wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. The move makes plenty of sense, as the Pats filled their need for a fifth receiver and potential punt returner while also unloading a quarterback who wasn’t going to dress for a single game without an injury to Tom Brady or Jimmy Garoppolo.
Dorsett can absolutely fly. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine in 2015, and the Colts selected the Miami product in the first round of that draft. Dorsett returned punts for the Hurricanes, though he only had a couple with the Colts, but that will help him contribute immediately. The Patriots lost wide receiver Julian Edelman and cornerback Cyrus Jones to torn ACLs in the past two preseason games, so their punt return needs were approaching code-red levels.
Brissett was terrific in his final game as a Patriot. He completed 28-of-39 passes for 340 yards, four touchdowns and an interception Thursday against the Giants, and he added four carries for 29 yards and a score. However, the 2016 third-round pick was going to remain as the third-string quarterback this season and wouldn’t have been active for any games.
All along, Brissett seemed like a safe candidate to make the roster unless another team proposed a trade to the Patriots. Given the NFL’s grave shortage of competent quarterbacks, the possibility of inquiring teams was always in the back of their minds.
The Pats’ lack of a punt returner, as well as Dorsett’s obvious talent as a former first-rounder, yields a strong return on the Brissett investment. Dorsett had 51 catches for 753 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with the Colts. He averaged 5.4 yards per punt return and didn’t have any touchdowns at Miami.
If Dorsett can pick up the offense, the Patriots will have an incredible amount of speed on the field at once on packages with Brandin Cooks and Chris Hogan. Dorsett, at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, has been a slot receiver, too.
The Colts obviously wanted Brissett because quarterback Andrew Luck is recovering from shoulder surgery and appears likely to miss time in the regular season. Their backup quarterback situation has been a mess.
Of course, there’s some risk involved on the Patriots’ side if Brissett develops into a capable starter for an organization that has been chasing them for years. But that might be more of a short-term risk if Luck returns to health.
Considering the Patriots’ immediate needs on a roster that had minimal question marks, it was worth the risk to trim down the talent at one spot to add security at another. Dorsett can now join a far more stable offense that can utilize his strengths in a way that the Colts failed to do, and his long-term potential offers an intriguing level of value.