The New England Patriots are loaded at WR for 2010
It all starts with 33-year old, 7-time Pro Bowler, Randy Moss. Moss played in 16 games (all starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 83 passes for 1,264 yards (15.2 avg) with 13 TD catches. He has now played in 186 games (180 starts) in his 12 years in the NFL and he has caught 926 passes for 14,465 yards (15.6 avg) with 148 TD grabs. Moss has also carried the ball 25 times for 159 yards (6.4 ypc) in his career. The Patriots need Moss to stay focused and motivated in 2010 as those areas were questioned about his game last year.
29-year old Wes Welker injured himself pretty bad in the regular season finale last season. The Patriots hope he will be ready to go by Week #1 in 2010 but that might be a bit optimistic. Welker played in 14 games (13 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 123 passes for 1,348 yards (11.0 avg) with 4 TD grabs. He also carried the ball 5 times for 36 yards (7.2 ypc) last year. Welker has now played in 93 games (43 starts) in his six years in the NFL and he has caught 442 passes for 4,809 yards (10.9 avg) with 16 TD grabs. He also has carried the ball 13 times for 101 yards (7.8 ypc) in his career. Welker is Tom Brady’s go to man over the middle of the field as he is tough as nails and the Patriots would really miss him if he’s not ready to go in 2010. He has made 2 Pro Bowls in his NFL career so far.
24-year old Julian Edelman was outstanding as a rookie for the Patriots last season. He played in 11 games (7 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 37 passes for 359 yards (9.7 avg) with 1 TD grab. Edelman also carried the ball 2 times for 5 yards (2.5 ypc) last year. Edelman is like a poor man’s Wes Welker as he definitely is not shy about going over the middle or fighting for an extra yard.
34-year old Torry Holt (a 7 time Pro Bowler) might be on the downside of his career but the man can still play. Holt played in 15 games (12 starts) for the Jaguars last season and he caught 51 passes for 722 yards (14.2 avg) but he didn’t catch any TD passes. Holt has now played in 173 games (159 starts) in his 11 years in the NFL and he has caught 920 passes for 13,382 yards (14.5 avg) with 74 TD grabs. His playing time will likely depend on how much Welker plays in 2010.
The Patriots are really high on second year WR Brandon Tate. The 22-year old Tate didn’t catch any passes as a rookie. He played in 2 games (1 start) for the Patriots last season and he had 1 carry for 11 yards. The Patriots hope to get Tate more involved in the offense this season as he is a great mix of size and speed.
35-yaer old David Patten faces long odds in making the opening day roster for the Patriots. He has not played since the 2008 season with the Saints. He has played in 147 games (73 starts) in his 12 years in the NFL and he has caught 324 passes for 4,715 yards (14.6 avg) with 24 TD grabs. Patten has also carried the ball 13 times for 106 yards (8.2 ypc) with 1 TD run in his career to date.
The Patriots used a 3rd round pick on WR Taylor Price. He is a big target at 6’0″, 212 pounds but he will likely be a developmental project for the Patriots who have a lot of talent above him on the depth chart.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE PATRIOTS WRs in 2010: A