New England Patriots’ receivers: Size matters not
The New England Patriots’ wide receivers have long been a standard of excellence in the NFL. Year in and year out, the New England Patriots’ offense has put up great numbers and set the quota for the rest of the NFL.
But is the New England Patriots’ weapons on offense greater than the some of its parts? Hear me out, I am in know way dismissing the skill of the New England Patriots’ receivers. Every year, they manage to have a new skill player that they are using to exploit weaknesses in the opposing team’s defense.
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Looking back in the last ten years, there are three key figures who I want to address as being great players on the New England Patriots who may have not made the cut on other teams.
I’ll start this list with Wes Welker. Wes Welker came to the New England Patriots in 2007 and became an absolute treasure of a wide receiver for the team. The New England Patriots were able to utilize Welker’s smaller size to their advantage. Welker was a very Belichick-ian player in that he was a grinder. He worked his tail off for every yard he accumulated and helped the New England Patriots win games. Wes Welker will always be a cult hero of the New England Patriots.
Then there is the Patriot Julian Edelman. Julian, a converted quarterback, has become the ‘New Wes Welker’ so to speak as far as the Patriots are concerned. When Wes Welker injured his knee, Julian Edelman became the go to target for Tom Brady in the slot receiver position. Edelman was very much a clone of Wes Welker in size, route running ability and work ethic. The New England Patriots found their replacement for Welker in Edelman.
Last but not least is Danny Amendola. Does anybody see a pattern with these three players? All three players are short, quick and are excellent route runners. Amendola came over to the New England Patriots to complement Edelman’s ability on offense. He has since become one of Tom Brady’s favorite targets.
If you look at recent history for the Patriots’ wide receivers, you will see a pattern of undersized, good route runners who play the game the right way. They work hard and their talent has grown with the hard work. Welker, Edelman and Amendola are all very similar players. They are all very Belichick-ian players.
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