Need for Speed

The season is fast approaching Pats fans and we still have no answer at wide receiver. There has been much debate in the media in the past week or so over whether or not the Pats can win without a true #1 receiver. Those that went to school for communications and never played in the NFL seem to think the Pats can't win. Those that have played in the NFL (DeOssie is leading the cause) seem to think the Pats can win the superbowl without a legit #1 guy. I don't necessarily know that they need Deion Branch or any #1 receiver per se, but they do need speed on the outside.

The Pats receiving corps as currently constituted does not pose a threat to defenses. Opposing D Coordinators will single cover Brown, Caldwell and or Chidress with corners. Then they can double team Watson with a LB underneath and a Safety over the top. That leaves a lot of dump passes to the RB's. That also means that opposing defenses will also be able to play 8 or 9 men in the box, taking away the running game that we've all been so high on this pre-season. That is where the speed comes in.

The Pats need AT LEAST the threat of the long passing game: deep outs, go patterns, deep slants that split the safeties, etc. Wide receivers with the ability to do that open up the running game and the middle for the Ben Watsons of the world. Brown can't do it anymore, Caldwell hasn't shown he ability to do it and neither has Childress. Oh, and don't forget the Pats have converted 7th round pick and former safety Willie Andrews to WR, not much chance that he'll get behind defenses either.

So where does the speed threat come from? I'm pretty sure they're not going to 'give in' to the ludicrous demands of Branch (I've seen reports that the Pats offered as much as 4yrs, over 6.15 million per with 12 million garuanteed). Hopefuly though, he'll come to his senses when he gets no other offers, fires his agent and get back with the team with a reasonable contract. I could go on and on about how insane he is for not taking the Pats offer, but this is not about my opinion of NFL contracts - maybe some other time. Word is that Chad Jackson will finally start practicing in preparation for week one, but that doesn't mean he'll start or even play. Jackson would provide the long threat and teams will have to account for him on every play, he's that physically gifted. It is disheartening to see someone like Donte Stallworth traded for nearly nothing. The Pats probably could have gotten him for Monte Beisel and a 4th round pick. Stallworth had better numbers than Branch last season, is younger, bigger and just as quick. I am still standing by my theory that David Patten will be cut by the Skins and will return to the Pats, not that I think he's the answer, but he's probably just as good or better than Caldwell.

Best case scenario, Branch reports and Jackson finally practices, the Pats have 2 speedy deep threats and an unstoppable offense. Worst case, they grind it out with neither of them and try to find someone off the scrap heap. I believe the team with SPEED (Jackson or Branch) wins 13 or 14 games and a team without can win 11 or 12 games. The difference being home field advantage throughout the playoffs or having to go on the road to get to the superbowl. How did that work out for them last year?