New England Patriots WR Outlook

            The New England Patriots find themselves in an odd place at the wide receiver position as they head towards free agency and the draft. The only player who unquestionably will be with the team in their 2012 campaign is also the only one who spent a decent amount of time playing defense when they ended the 2011 season, Julian Edelman. The status of his fellow receivers from last year’s squad; Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and Chad Ochocinco, remains up in the air.

            Conventional wisdom is that the Patriots will use the franchise tag on free agent Wes Welker before the March 5^th deadline. However, look for a longer term deal to be struck with Welker before the start of the season, similar to what the team did with Vince Wilfork two years ago.  Welker should receive a comfortable contract that pays him as a top-10 receiver for no more than three years. Welker will likely take a light hometown discount, but keep in mind he will be 31 before the season and has still yet to ever really cash in.

            Fellow free agent receiver, Deion Branch undoubtedly will take whatever contract the Patriots put in front of him, as he has made clear his intentions to retire a Patriot. Whether or not Bill Belichick decides to bring back Branch will be an interesting decision. At this stage in his career, Branch would be best suited to be at best a team’s fourth option at wide receiver.  Look for Branch to re-sign and make the team as their fourth or fifth receiver.

            The most interesting of the names above has to be Chad Ochocinco. The former All-Pro fell off the map in his first season in New England after ten successful campaigns with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Patriots have reportedly already asked Ochocinco to restructure his contract. Assuming he obliges, he will have a short leash in training camp. If he shows up in camp and clearly is still not on the same page with Tom Brady, the team will have no choice but to go in another direction.

            The bottom-line is that even if all three receivers return, the Patriots need to restock their receiving core. There are plenty of big names expected to hit the market such as Vincent Jackson, Marques Colston, and Reggie Wayne. The Patriots will likely look to fly a little under the radar and sign one of the second-tier receivers available. One player that would be a great fit would be Robert Meachem. The Patriots desperately seek a player who can stretch the field and make a big play, two of Meachem’s specialties. Coming out of another offense that spread the ball around in New Orleans, Meachem is not getting as much talk as a lot of other names out there, but he could make a team look very smart.

            One cannot talk the Patriots and wide receivers without mentioning the name Brandon Lloyd. The connection is obvious. Lloyd has had two of his best seasons, on two separate teams, with new Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. The Patriots will surely discuss Lloyd, but a deal needs to be done at the right price. In the end he may command a little more money than the Patriots would like, which was reportedly the case when they tried acquiring him before the 2011 trade deadline.

            My complete shot out of left field: When the Patriots line up on opening day, I look for Robert Meachem and Chad Johnson to be split out wide, with Wes Welker holding down his usual spot in the slot. Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, and South Carolina’s Alshon Jeffery will be in reserve roles.