Pats add former rival Brown
All Pro receiver Antonio Brown will join team this week
FOXBORO — Sooner rather than later, Bill Belichick is going to have to put on his general manager’s hat and make a tough call concerning the Patriots’ group of wide receivers.
Tom Brady’s collection of intended targets received a significant upgrade with the news that involved Antonio Brown, who didn’t remain on the open market for very long after an unceremonious parting of the ways with the Oakland Raiders. Just like that, the summertime concern of Brady working with an inexperienced receiver corps has given way to a boatload of possibilities – adding an All-Pro talent will do that for a franchise.
Who from the current stable of WRs will be told to hit the road once the Patriots make the Brown transaction official? That was one of the questions to ponder as the defending Super Bowl champions opened the 2019 season on Sunday night against Pittsburgh.
Against the Steelers, Brady had a few choices to throw to, from old standby Julian Edelman, who snagged his 500th career catch in the first half, along with Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett, and rookie Jakobi Myers. Technically, first-year Patriot Gunner Olszewski was listed as WR, yet the only time he saw the field through two quarters was on punt returns.
Breaking down the pool of wideouts, it would appear that Edelman, Dorsett, and Gordon are safe. Dorsett and Gordon hauled in touchdown passes from Brady as the Patriots enjoyed a 20-0 halftime lead at the Steelers’ expense. Once you enter Brady’s circle of trust, it can provide you with a security blanket in terms of job security. Just ask Dorsett, now in his third year in New England.
After the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers in the team’s third preseason game, Brady went out of his way to praise Dorsett.
“Phillip is a guy that I’ve played a lot of football with, and I have a lot of trust in. Experience is a great thing in football if you use it well, and I think our experience together pays off,” said Brady.
The list of Sunday’s inactives offered an intriguing clue as veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas appeared on it – the same Thomas who was sent packing on cutdown day only to be brought back a few days later when the Patriots placed 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry on injured reserve.
Thomas has worked hard to come back from an Achilles injury that short-circuited his 2018 season. Things appeared to be looking up when he found the end zone twice in the Patriots’ final exhibition game. Now, his time in New England could be on shaky ground due to Brown’s arrival.
“I want to be a part of it for sure. Just being around and watching the guys work week-in and week-out, we’ve got a lot of potential,” said Thomas after the August 29 preseason contest against the New York Giants.
Since Meyers was active for Sunday’s game and Thomas was not, it would assume the former’s roster spot is safe – at least for now. An undrafted free agent out of N.C. State, Meyers was the toast of training camp as he took advantage of his opportunities that were made possible due to Edelman being sidelined with a thumb injury and Gordon still waiting on his status.
Bottom line, a roster decision will have to be made before Brown can officially enter into the Patriots’ fold.
Photo by Louriann Mardo-Zayat