and gets plenty of seperation, gets to the ball to makes plays and score TDs.

Saw that from the other three teams in the playoffs Sunday, but not the Pats.  Who is around the Pats can pick up in the off season or draft?  Mike Beaulieu  ....  some thoughts?

In response to agcsbill's comment:

Agree, I put a big receiver that can either get the separation and/or go up and get he ball in a croud higher up on the need list than CB's.

No question we need a deep threat. However if Gronk and Hern. can ever stay healthy having the 2 tight end attack it won't be as obvious we don't have a deep threat.

 

Blame BB for not getting a big/tall, athletic, fast/quick, wide receiver.  I'm not sure if the Patriots really ever had one of those, that's why he finally went back and got two TEs in Gronk and Hernandez.  It was just ill timing that we don't seem to have both at the same time for playoffs.

In addition, the pass rush and defensive backs STILL need to be addressed. When Talib went down early - it really messes up the defensive game plan; ESPECIALLY against teams with larger/athletic WRs.

In response to PATSthebest's comment:

I disagree as these two make for match up headaches in the short to mid range area.  If you do not have anyone with the threat to take it deep on most plays, the opponents D can just about ignore the deep plays and concentrate of packing up the short stuff with no fear for over the top plays.  Pats O need to present headaches to the other D everywhere.

In response to agcsbill's comment:

 

No question we need a deep threat. However if Gronk and Hern. can ever stay healthy having the 2 tight end attack it won't be as obvious we don't have a deep threat.

 ======

I disagree as these two make for match up headaches in the short to mid range area.  If you do not have anyone with the threat to take it deep on most plays, the opponents D can just about ignore the deep plays and concentrate of packing up the short stuff with no fear for over the top plays.  Pats O need to present headaches to the other D everywhere.

 

Since 2000, how many  WRs did the Patriots have that meet your description?

 

I want to say one - Moss - and his "success" lasted one year. How many SB rings did having Moss translate into? Zero

 

Their aren't too many big/tall, fast, athletic, quick WRs out there. They don't just grow on trees!

The Julio Jones and AJ Greens of the world are usually top 10 picks.

I honestly don't think offense personnel is a huge issue. 49ers have Crabtree, and old moss, 2 TEs, and thats about it for the passing game. The Patriots just seem to lack execution come playoff time.

 

That being said, as much as I like Branch, he doesn't add anything to the offense. He gets one on one all the time and more times than not he can't beat it. I think a pass rusher is a more important need so I hope the Pats go in that direction.

 

Donnie Avery is someone I would target for camp. Guy ran a 4.27 and is 5'11, which is reasonable. He is an injury concern, so I wouldn't come in with expectations of him playing an inegral part of the offense.

Kenny Britt is also someone the Pats could maybe take a chance on. He's got off field issues though and his injury history may be a concern. But he's big and pretty fast, in the last year of his deal and I highly doubt Ten resigns him. Could be available for a low draft pick.

I'm not a huge fan of Mike Wallace and think he'll ask for too much, but he's probably the best big deep threat available. Pats can't spend too much money on a WR...not until they fix the defense.

Don't know who else is in the draft. Somebody else know of the WR class?

Greg Jennings.

Can Brady connect with them fast recievers downfield any more? Brady seems to be losing arm strength more and more every year, and his downfield accuracy is brutal at times, especially in bad weather.

Although many will disagree and start to point out a few exceptions Brady is primarily a short to mid range passing QB. He has always been more comfrotable throwing the "dink and dunk" offense with most of the yards coming after the catch. I never had a problem with it, it's worked to the point of teh PATS averaging 35 points per game.

In the BB era our 2 biggest issues have always been cover corners and DE getting to the QB. None of these problems are the fault of Brady, Welker, the offense.

In response to SUZUKIGSXR's comment:

He's still better than most QBs in the league and at age 35!  The same is said of Manning now, his arm strength not waht it was.  But, most folks will take these two over most any day even today.  Until Brady does get those true stretch receivers on the team, we will never know.

In response to dapats1281's comment:

I'd add Brian Hartline to that list if he is available...although I'm sure the Dolphins want to keep him.

In response to SUZUKIGSXR's comment:

Good receivers adjust to the ball and can make up for variations in ball placement. Get better downfield receivers and Brady's deep ball will instantly look better.

 

In response to SUZUKIGSXR's comment:

thats just it, he can't connect with them. Brady's thrown maybe 25 deep balls this year and hasn't connected once. last weeks throw to welker was fairly deep.  lloyd has misjudged the ball on a couple but most of his throws have been off target. they usually come up short where the reciever has to slow down and on occasion he's overthrown it. Brady is very good with the short passing game but not so much with the deep pass. How much would a "deep threat" really help if teams know he wont make the play?

In response to sporter81's comment:

This is just a foolish post.  He connected with Stallworth instantly when he got back.  Second, only about 5 QBs in the league throw good deep balls, the rest have their receivers go up and make adjustments.  Last week Torrey Smith adjusted for Flacco.  That's what the Pats don't have, a guy who can go up and make the grab.  They should've gotten Vincent Jackson when they had the chance. 

In response to NonChalant1's comment:

Exactly.

I for one would like to see the fast, quick receiver you've described but please let's not get hung up on "tall," Desean Jackson isn't very tall but can burn you, also true of many of the fastest guys in the NFL.  

I'd like to see somebody across from Lloyd, tall would be nice but only if he had burner speed and the agility to go across the middle and make all the catches, truthfully if he had stayed healthy it would have been Stallworth this year.  

With him outside and Welker comfortably in the slot, we were a different offense this year, but we got a lot of injuries that people overlook, including Edelman.  We didn't lose because we lacked receivers, but we certainly missed Gronk's blocking, his ability to create mismatches, but we mainly lost because we missed his toughness.

In response to anonymis' comment:

Moss was a deep threat but his whole game at that point in career did not include being physical ...he was never a physical WR...see boldin, Julio jones, etc

In response to NonChalant1's comment:

+1

I think it is a size as much as a speed thing. The Patriots top three WRs are 5'9" 185 lbs, 5'9" 195 lbs, and 6'0" 200 lbs. Even Hernandez is not that big at 6'1" 245 lbs. Without Gronk they are a very small receiving team. 

Meanwhile, the Ravens guys are 6'0" 205 lbs, 6'1" 223 lbs and 6'2" 212 lbs with Pitta coming in at 6'4" 245 lbs. Look around the NFL, there are WR 6'2" in the 220 lbs range all over the place. Without Gronk in there, no one on the offense can physically go get a contested ball the way that Boldin caught both of his TDs.

Waste of time, Brady wouldn't be able to make the throw. Incomplete every time.

Don't worry BB will bring in 6 washed-up old retreads to camp, like every year, with none certain to make the roster.  We'll be stuck with the guy who can't get seperation and Branch again.  So this time next year all the haters can blame Brady for not winning another Super Bowl.

Until this offense can actually challenge people vertically, it won't be complete. Just trade Hernandez or Welker and get it over with. You don't need 8 different guys who run horizontal routes. 

You need one guy who can actually create vertical pressure. 

So tired of seeing it, and sitting there hearing anouncers talking about how NE has to be razor sharp on the short routes because everyone knows they can't beat them up top. 

And PULEASE, let's not chalk this up to not running.... NE ran that ball ad nauseum until Ridley fumbled it ... 33 passes to 27 runs. So I really, really, really, don't want to hear that in the offseason ... all offseason .... all next season ... again. 

Everyone got their power offense .... surprise .... it didn't work. Exactly like I said ... nothing works all the time. 

Getting a deep WR rounds the offense out. 

But it's irrelevant until they get at least a couple more pieces on defense. 

Wanna see the offense score less and still win? Make it so they don't fffffing have to score so bloody much. 

They should have been playing in a one score game in the fourth ... not an out of control debacle because the defense just folded it's blanking tents up. 

In response to zbellino's comment:

exactly.  need to staighten out the passing game -- on both sides of the ball!

Not for nothing but the Pats are tied for 9th in the NFL in yards per passing play, 7th in passing plays of 20+ yards which statistically makes them the 7th best deep ball threat team in the NFL.

We won a Super Bowl with Troy Brown, Deion Branch and David Givens as our leading receiver, so the idea that a "vertical threat" is what's missing is unfounded.  The Ravens beat us because they physically beat the tar out of us, what this team needs more than anything is more toughness.

Deep passes happen because of play action and missed defensive assignments, not because of magical players that every other team besides New England seems to possess.  Funny how it's all about "execution" until it isn't.