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The New England Patriots had a glaring need for receiver during the 2013 season. Fans had to wonder what would happen during the off-season to address the issue. Who will be the top pass catcher after injury prone, Rob Gronkowski? Did they address the issue at all during the Off-season, or is Foxboro due another season of uncertainty at the position?
Prior to the draft, the Patriots put in a little Free-Agency work by re-signing Julian Edelman and signing former Carolina Panther, Brandon LaFell. While it’s easy to fall in love with LaFell’s solid 6-2, 210lb frame, his production says he’s just not a number one. Edelman was almost lost to Free Agency, but was not getting offered what he thought he was worth. He signed a 4-year deal with the Patriots in March. Edelman was the only Pats receiver who came to work during the 2013 NFL season.
With Gronkowski down, Edelman was clearly Tom Brady’s number one target, catching 105 passes for 1056 yards and 6 TDs this past year. New England has to be thankful to have him back in the fold. However, is he really the answer to the WR problem in New England? I think not. I believe that the Patriots are still banking on Gronkowski to stay healthy enough to give them the receiving threat they so desperately need. They did manage to do a late round bargain pickup by selecting Jeremy Gallon from Michigan with the 244th overall selection.
The first thing that leapt off the screen for me, when I watch this guy is he plays bigger than 5’7” 185lbs. He constantly catches the ball at its apex. He adjust to the ball fairly well even when passes are under thrown. Gallon has very good ball carrier vision, being able to follow blocks well until he sees a crease. New England may have picked him up simply for his ability to perform screen-plays with flawless execution. I think he is a smart football player who could have gone earlier if he could see over a counter-top. He is definitely excited, as he had this to say during a Patriots.com interview “I’m just there to fit in and just to compete and to just go in and to be the best guy I can and to make everything happen for the team and myself.”
Gallon may not be the total solution to the WR problem in New England, however Bill Belichick knows the same thing that I do. This is a ball player and if given a chance early due to the injury prone incumbents, he will produce immediately.
With the addition of Gallon, LaFell as well as the re-signing of Edelman, the Pats receiving corps looks to be a force to be reckoned with.
Jermaine Lockett is a writer for CouchRiderReport.net. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
