Aaron Dobson ‘doubtful’ for OTAs
New England Patriots wide receiver Aaron Dobson (17) evades a tackle. Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots second-round wide receiver Aaron Dobson spent the majority of the 2013 season as the team’s “X” receiver, and the Marshall product caught 37 passes for 519 yards and four touchdowns in a promising rookie campaign. Dobson has a great size/speed combination, a large catch radius, and plenty of upside, but he was always raw coming out of college. After a poor start to the season in which he showed off his lack of polish by dropping too many passes and running poor routes, Dobson peaked in the middle of the season.
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His peak ended after a stress fracture, and he needed surgery in March after the injury still didn’t improve. MassLive.com’s Nick Underhill reports that Dobson’s status for OTAs is “doubtful” at this point in time, and Underhill reminds us that OTAs start for the Patriots on the 27th of the month.
Dobson probably won’t be healed within that two-week timeframe, and it would be a surprise for him to return that early. As we saw this season when the Patriots held him out of a game after he practiced on Friday, the Pats don’t prioritize practice over health. Dobson could use the extra time to work this offseason, but at least he has a full offseason and season of experience under his belt already. He should be good-to-go for other offseason activities, and it will be interesting to see how he and the other young receivers look during training camp. By the looks of it, Dobson is a prime candidate for a breakout 2014 season, so he’s definitely worth keeping an eye on when he does return for workouts this offseason.