New England Patriots: Jalen Saunders Brings Huge Upside

On Tuesday, the New England Patriots sent a conditional draft pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for wide receiver/return specialist Jalen Saunders. This move was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

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Saunders had been on the roster bubble for the Saints in recent weeks, as running back Marcus Murphy was pushing him for the spot of primary return man. Saunders has run into some injury issues this preseason, and Murphy had appeared to win the job, making Saunders expendable.

With their own injury problems at the wide receiver position, the Patriots decided to look outside the box to give themselves some depth. Saunders, a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by the New York Jets had a very forgettable rookie season. It all started with a serious car accident that held him out of action for a portion of the preseason.

Saunders was able to return for the beginning of the regular season, but the Jets moved on from him in late September after a muffed punt. Saunders spent time on the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, before getting scooped up by the Saints late in the season. In his first play as a member of the Saints, Saunders took an opening kickoff 99 yards and was stopped at the one-yard line.

Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jalen Saunders (18) returns the opening kickoff as Atlanta Falcons strong safety Kemal Ishmael (36) chases during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, he did little else to help the Saints down the stretch. Now, the Patriots hope to find a spark in the 22-year-old speed demon.

Saunders entered the league with pure speed, quickness and agility that was basically unrivaled in his draft class. His ability to make defenders miss, and get up to his blazing speed quickly would seem to be a huge weapon in the NFL. The one thing that will always limit Saunders’ potential is his obvious lack of size. Being listed at 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, Saunders is never going to be a number one wide receiver.

However, the NFL is a fast-paced game, and speed always has its place. Speed and quickness is something that Saunders is certainly not lacking, and the Patriots are going to try to feature that speed and quickness on the field.

Also, no NFL team has been able to feature small wide receivers on a consistent basis like the Patriots. Wes Welker was an absolute star for the team for many years, and now Julian Edelman has stepped up and been just as productive. Danny Amendola even seems to be turning his Patriots’ career around, and I believe that the offensive scheme has a lot to do with that.

Jan 11, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) celebrates with wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) after a touchdown during the first quarter of the 2013 AFC divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Patriots are very successful in putting their players in a position to succeed. Edelman and Welker have been huge beneficiaries to that, and I expect a similar strategy to take place with Saunders.

With his incredible quickness, he could easily become a force to be reckoned with out of the slot. Also, while he lacks in size, Saunders has elite straight-line speed which should allow for some serious deep-ball ability, something the Patriots have been severely lacking in recent years.

At worst, Saunders gives the Patriots a solid kick returner option with a ton of upside. His natural speed could also allow him to become a weapon offensively. With the Patriots’ receiving core suffering through some injuries to start the season, I expect Saunders to get an opportunity to prove himself right away.

Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady will find ways to get him the ball in space. From there, it is up to Saunders to make his mark. He definitely has the skill-set to make a difference.

Next: Predicting the Patriots 53-Man Roster

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