Troy Brown Wants To Return, Breaking Down the WR Position

According to sources, Troy Brown has decided that he wants to return to football next season.  But now, with all of the recent signings, will he return to the Patriots next year?  Assuming he does, the WR position gets very crowded, and there will be a lot of competition.  I wouldn’t even be surprised if the Patriots added a receiver or two in the draft.  That being said, this is how the receiving depth chart looks now (including Brown)

Outside #1  1. Donte Stallworth  2. Jabar Gaffney 3. Chad Jackson

Outside # 2  1. Reche Caldwell  2. Kelley Washington  3. Kelvin Kight

Slot  1. Wes Welker  2.  ?Troy Brown?  3. Kelley Washington  4. Bam Childress

Receiver #4  1. Jabar Gaffney  2. Chad Jackson  3. Kelley Washington

Receiver #5  1. Kelley Washington  2.  Chad Jackson  3.  Troy Brown

Receiver #6?  1. Chad Jackson  2. Troy Brown  3. Bam Childress  4. Kelvin Kight

Donte Stallworth – Top receiver pickup.  Has great speed and solid hands, barring injury, should be the top receiver.  Stallworth has the edge, but if he slacks in training camp, he could fall out of the top spot.

Wes Welker – Will start in the slot, but he will get the throws of a starter.  Welker just works better out of the slot, so that’s where he will play.

Kelley Washington – The two factors that will give Washington a spot on the club are his size and versatility.  He is a tall receiver who can move between the inside and the outside.

Reche Caldwell – Penciled in to start next to Stallworth, but this could easily change.  Caldwell choked in the playoffs, and he no longer has the fan base on his side.  He is going to have to work hard to be accepted again.

Jabar Gaffney – Gaffney was amazing in the playoffs, so he should have a chance to seize the starting job in training camp.  Once he got to know the system, he was unstoppable.  Watch out for Jabar Gaffney in ‘07.

Chad Jackson – Right now, Chad Jackson is recovering from a torn ACL.  The injury and his shaky rookie campaign slide him way down the depth chart.  I think Chad will be out all of ‘07, or at least on PUP.  I still like him a heck of a lot, and think he can still be an elite receiver, but I’m starting to get a little worried.

Troy Brown – Troy has said he wants to return, but is there a spot for him on the team?  If Jackson is gone, it gives Troy a chance to return as the sixth receiver and backup slot guy.  Troy Brown is one of New England’s all-time favorites, I just hope he returns.

Bam Childress- Bam Childress is one of my favorite players on the team.  He is a hard worker, very versatile, and has good hands and speed.  He reminds me a lot of Troy Brown.  He even plays defense as well.  If Troy is gone, and Jackson is out, Bam Childress will have a chance to prove that he is worth an extra roster spot as a sixth receiver.  If not, he will surely land on the practice squad.

Kelvin Kight – Kelvin Kight is similar to Bam Childress, in that he is a hard worker.  He managed to salvage a little playing time last year, and has nice speed on the outside.  Under the right circumstances, he also might get a shot at the 6th receiver spot, against Bam Childress.  If he has another good training camp, he should get a practice squad spot.