How Many Receivers Will The Patriots Carry?

I have written many times this season that I believe the Patriots are going to be running two, three, four, and due the H-backs possibly five tight end sets in 2021. This would mean the club needs to go heavy at tight end. This also means the Patriots will probably be thin somewhere.That somewhere I believe will be at wideout. Hear me out on this before you call me nuts. 

The Patriots have four guys that play the wideout position that are roster locks. Five if one counts Slater. Those guys are Agholor and Bourne whom the Patriots shelled out a lot of money for and aren't likely to cut.

Then there's all pro return man and slot receiver Gunner Olszewski and we know how much Belichick values special teams, plus he's said to becoming along strong as a slot guy. And there's Jakobi Meyers who many are projecting to be receiver one by season end. 

Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and James White are respectable pass catchers in their own right, and are more productive than all the other pass catchers combined.

If the Patriots are having Henry, Jones, and possibly Asiasi on the field at the same time that limits how many backs and receivers can take the field. When the Patriots go heavy, although they have Johnson, if things go as expected; Keene can and should line up as the fullback on occasion with the back behind him, or he might even be the back with Johnson in front of him.

The Patriots are stacked at running back and the rest of the receivers really haven't done much. Outside the four mentioned above the rest of the Patriots haven't done much. 

Zuber is looking like he's gonna be this seasons' Zac Sudfeld or Maurice Harris. Shine in practice but not do much if anything in the regular season. If you blinked last season, you missed his play. That's how little he was used.

Harry lost weight and is trying to become the Patriots X receiver but he struggles in separation. Has sloppy footwork and hasn't done much over his career. I know he had Cam as his passer last year, so it should only count as half a season but still he hasn't shown the ability to use his wingspan to catch things in his bubble.

Then there's Devin Smith, a guy with a lot of potential and a former 2017 second round pick for the New York Jets, who just can't stay healthy long enough to contribute to any team. He's boom or bust, with heavy emphasis on bust.

The Patriots have a couple of other receivers including newly signed Devin Ross but after Bourne, Agholor, Gunner, and Meyers, the rest can be stored away on the practice squad. For when needed. Sure it's not traditional but neither is a base multiple tight end offense.

Now some might say what are you gonna do on third and long? Well most pass catchers run under a 5.0 forty anyways. That means most can run ten yards in 1.25 seconds. There were complaints a few years back that Brady was getting the ball out in under three seconds. Because Newton isn't a quick game quarterback, they'll have more time. 

And with the size of the tight ends, they'll create mismatches. So if the Patriots keep four, or even five tight ends there shouldn't be really any issues. On third down. I mean the Patriots are coached to where third and over ten yards is an issue. So the Patriots needing fifteen yards or more is rarely a thing. 

So yeah I do believe that there's a strong possibility of the Patriots going thin at wideout and stacked at tight end. I'd say there's a six in ten chance that it happens this season. Let's see what the Patriots do going forward.