New England Patriots: Cordarrelle Patterson fits the proven pattern
The New England Patriots traded for wide receiver and special teams player Cordarrelle Patterson on Sunday, a move that fits right into the Patriot Way.
There are many things that fit into the vaunted “Patriot Way” when talking about the how the New England Patriots have built their dynasty under Bill Belichick. Obviously Tom Brady has been a constant, but there have also been obvious ways that they have constructed the roster time and again. One such thing that they’ve done is taking gambles on forgotten talents.
We’ve seen the Patriots do such things over and over again in the NFL. And now they’re ready to do so again as it pertains to the wide receiver position.
On Sunday evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Patriots had agreed to a trade with the Oakland Raiders that will land New England wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and the Raiders’ 2018 sixth-round pick. In return, the Patriots will send back their 2018 fifth-round pick:
Terms: The #Patriots traded for WR Cordarrelle Patterson, while swapping a 5th round pick for a #Raiders 6th round pick.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2018
Much like his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings before them, Patterson’s time with the Raiders was largely without consequence. That’s not to say that the speedster didn’t show flashes with big plays that come as a result of his game-breaking athleticism. However, he just never put any of it together with consistency.
That, however, is what makes him such an intriguing pickup for the Patriots. They have made a living under the watchful eye of The Hoodie of taking players who fit the mold that Patterson does and then maximizing their value. If Patterson has struggled with picking up playbooks, they’ll shorten his in New England. If it’s about culture, they’ll get him accustomed to the New England way. We’ve seen this story before.
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Admittedly, the Patriots don’t have a success rate of 100 percent in this regard. While they have hit with this strategy, they’ve most certainly had their misses as well. Even so, the fact that they can land a potential breakout player for next-to-nothing in terms of a draft pick swap is why they’ve been such a dynastic franchise.
As he dons the Patriot Way, no one would be surprised if Cordarrelle Patterson finally realized his potential.