New England Patriots: Free Agent WR Anquan Boldin an Option?
The New England Patriots are unlikely to be major spenders in free agency this off season, but an under-valued signing like WR Anquan Boldin would be a smart decision.
Each and every off season fans of the New England Patriots dream of their team landing a high-caliber, outside wide receiver for Tom Brady to throw to. Besides the time they bought low on Randy Moss nearly ten years ago, the Patriots have not put many resources into the position. If we are going to be honest with ourselves, it is unlikely that Bill Belichick and company change their ways now.
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If the price is right, I could see Mohamed Sanu being an option for the team, but he is not a prototypical outside wide receiver. A major part of Sanu’s value, and a huge reason why I could see the Patriots showing serious interest, is his versatility. Sanu can do many different things on the field from many different places. He is a force to be reckoned with in the slot, on the outside and even out of the backfield.
Sanu is a great fit, but if he becomes over-priced, there is no way that the Patriots will be bringing him in.
This team is always going to be looking for value. With Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski already in the fold, Brady already has enticing options to throw to in the passing game, even if they do not produce in a more traditional role.
They do not need a superstar player on the outside, just a solid and reliable option who will give them more than Brandon LaFell. It would not be the sexiest signing in the free agency process, but the Patriots targeting and bringing in Anquan Boldin would be a strong move that would point them in the right direction.
Patriots’ fans always point to the team’s needs for a deep receiver to force defenses to respect the deep pass. I understand the reasoning behind that, but Brady’s best game at this stage in his career is making plays in the short to intermediate passing game. Adding Boldin to the fold greatly improves their passing game in that department, which is already the biggest strength in their offense.
At this point in his career, Boldin is not going to threat a defense deep, but he is a good, consistent target who can make plays all across the field. Boldin is a technically sound receiver with incredible route running ability and consistent hands. He lacks great quickness and separation, but Boldin is a big and physical target who will fight for the ball and win a majority of the time.
As an established veteran, Boldin should be able to step into the Patriots’ complex offense and produce right away. With all of their option routes and a rapport with Brady being so important new receivers typically need some time to understand the concepts in the Patriots’ passing game. This leads to many first year struggles, making it difficult for the Pats to find immediate impact players to add at the position.
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However, Boldin is a smart and experienced receiver who has been through it all. It won’t be easy for him, but he is fully capable to come in and pick up the Patriots’ passing game right away.
Adding Boldin will improve the strength of the Patriots’ offense. I understand why the need for a deep target is there, but Brady’s deep ball accuracy is shaky these days. The team is better off playing to his strengths by looking to improve their ability to make plays underneath.
Edelman, Gronkowski and to a lesser extent Danny Amendola can make enough plays downfield to keep the defense honest, so the threat of an elite deep receiver is not as necessary as some would lead us to believe.
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Sure, in a perfect world the Patriots could give Brady a Moss reincarnate who would round out the entire passing game, but even if you can find those kind of players, they are not going to be cheap. A better use of resources is for the Patriots to improve an area of strength by bringing in a veteran like Boldin at a reasonable cost.