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You knew this was coming. I've gone at least a month without writing an article about, or with, Wes in it. And now it's time.

One of the most productive receiving corps of the 2007 season, the real question is, "Can they do it again?"  Longevity and consistency is the hallmark of a great offense and this is true of this group of receivers.  For 2008, all eyes will be watching.  Will they dominate like 2007?  Can they continue the incredible success they had last year?  The answer is a definitive, homeristic yes.  Why?  Because with this group of guys we seem to have all the bases covered.  Seam - Moss; underneath/slot - Welker; power receiver - Jackson; speciality - Gaffney, Washington.  Let's not forget Aiken, Jones, Ortiz, and Slater.  And, for the stars of 2007 (Moss and Welker) it was their first year in a Patriots uniform.  THEIR...FIRST...YEAR!!  It can only get better.  Let's get to it.

Randy Moss - Breaking the regular season TD record by pulling down 23 touchdown passes, Randy is the gazelle of the group.  There's nothing sweeter than watching Moss "lope" down the sidelines, pull down a pass only he can catch, and then turn on the afterburners.  DBs, who were already struggling to keep up with him, give up as the legs attached to his 6-4 frame extend even further to totally embarrass that back.  While not catching those impossible passes, he draws mucho coverage away from other receivers; a HUGE benefit, if you ask me.  I'm glad he's signed.

Wes Welker - In my opinion, one of the most impactful acquisitions of 2007, Wes owns the slot.  Belichick, always watching other teams, picked him up from the Dolphins because he gave Patriots DBs fits - they just couldn't cover him.  Wes's footwork and quickness make him very slippery and difficult to manage.  He was absent from all OTAs which led to many questions about his health.  A theory which I agree with: he was worn out.  One of Brady's favorite targets as the chain mover of the group, he pulled down 112 catches for a 10.5 yard average.  When Moss wasn't open, Wes was the look of choice; I see that changing a bit as there's just too much film from 2007 showing that exact scenario over and over.  Defenses are preparing for it, I guarantee you.  The little engine that can, he'll succeed no matter what the defense tries.  Where's Wes?  Oh, he's behind you...with the ball...running for the endzone.

Jabar Gaffney - The ultimate speciality receiver, Jabar is brought in to make those impossible "keep both feet in bounds" catches.  Time and time again, I've seen Brady throw the ball at his fingertips and outside the plane of the in bounds line, only for Gaffney to somehow pull it down, keeping both feet in the green.  He's not used a lot and will never have stellar numbers, but he's the guy when you need to make possible the impossible.  The most memorable, however, is the Brady-to-Moss-to-Brady fleaflicker against the Steelers.  Brady ends up launching it to Jabar, burning Anthony Smith yet again.  This year, however, I have a feeling Jabar will take on a more active role with the departure of Stallworth.

Chad Jackson - A lot has been written about this man.  The heir apparent to Stallworth's position, much attention will be focused on "The Chad".  His role is Welker with a few more pounds and some muscle.  He's the chainsaw to Wes's scalpel.  Jackson will be relied upon to produce like an RB post catch; his job is breaking tackles and gaining yardage after the catch, a running back with great hands.  There's a few question marks, though.  Having spent his first 2 seasons injured for the most part, he's considered fragile.  In addition, it's been reported he has trouble with the playbook.  Coaches have been working with him non-stop, so I think we'll see improvement and productivity from Jackson.  He's definitely a guy to watch during TC.

Sam Aiken - A recent acquisition from the Bills and first year Patriot, Sam will be a strong addition to the special teams corp, but I don't see him getting much time on the field as a WR with the group of guys above.

C.J. Jones - Previously with the Browns and Seahawks, CJ has spent much of his career moving back and forth between active roster, practice squad and NFL Europa.  If things get tight and the front office needs to tighten its belt, I believe CJ is in jeapordy.

Robert Ortiz - 2007 saw him spend some time with the Seahawks after playing in Europe for awhile.  Robert, like CJ, may be in jeapordy if things get tight.

Matt Slater - Matt, a 2008 draftee, has been looking solid during OTAs.  Lining up at both WR and Safety, it'll be interesting to see where he ends up.  Belichick likes multi-role players and I see Matt initially adding value as a kick returner; he's got good hands and, with WR and Safety loaded up, he's an investment in youth, in my opinion.

Kelley Washington - One of the best special teams tacklers on the Patriots, I see more of the same for Kelley.  WR is a crowded position and unless he gets a chance to step in and make a big play, he will most likely become one of the Patriots best special teams guys again.  I hope he gets a shot; I really like Washington.

weblogs.cltv.com

 I typically don't cruise betting sites.  In fact, I work hard to avoid them.  If I get another stupid popup to some salacious site in the Ukraine, I'm going to throw my computer against the wall, so I don't need to tempt fate by visiting "popup heaven".  Yes, I stay away, but this particular site, capperspicks.com is not bad.  Let me offer this disclaimer: I am, in no way, affiliated with this site nor am I suggesting you should run off and type in your credit card number on this site and launch your internet betting hobby.  No Sir.  I DO suggest that you use all the information you can find about your team and others to stay informed.  Especially when they say the New England Patriots are the best team out there:

BetUS NFL Futures Odds

To Win AFC East

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -1000
Buffalo Bills +800
New York Jets +1000
Miami Dolphins +1200

To win the AFC Championship

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS +175
San Diego Chargers +450
Indianapolis Colts +500
Jacksonville Jaguars +900
Pittsburgh Steelers +1200
Cleveland Browns +1600
Tennessee Titans +2000
Denver Broncos +2000
Cincinnati Bengals +2200
Baltimore Ravens +2500

The smaller the number, the better.  As you can see, the AFC East will be a stomping (-1000) with the AFC Championship being a bit closer.

The odds for AFC Teams to win the Superbowl are interesting, to say the least:

BetUS NFL Futures Odds - To Win Super Bowl XLIII

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS +1400
New England Patriots +325
New York Jets +10000
Buffalo Bills +8000
Miami Dolphins +10000
Baltimore Ravens +6000
Cincinnati Bengals +4500
Pittsburgh Steelers +1750
Cleveland Browns +3000
Indianapolis Colts +700
Tennessee Titans +3500
Houston Texans +6500
San Diego Chargers +700
Denver Broncos +4000
Kansas City Chiefs +10000

Over at the NFC, Dallas is favored to win the Championship - I'm not too surprised with that pick (it's hard for a Superbowl champ to repeat).  So based on this site, Brady will be squaring off against Romo; that'd be a good game.  Oh, it almost slipped my mind: T.O. and Moss.  Can you say, "Media Circus?"  I knew you could.

What does this tell us?  Absolutely nothing.  I do, however, place more credence on betting sites than I do "what if's" from ESPN and sportsonline.com (make sure you read the good with the bad, too).  Why?  These guys are putting real dollars and cents on the line; some writer in a cubicle is just pulling crap off of Google, chatting it up with his buddies at the local watering hole, and writing an article.  Ok, that was a little harsh (and it sounds an awful lot like me!).  Some might actually be TALKING to players, coaches and league officials.  These numbers will certainly change as the season moves on.  My point is, gather information from everywhere you can, but try to cultivate as many reasonable sources as you can - both friendly and not-so-friendly viewpoints.  Happy reading.

I'm sorry, I'm apologizing up front.  This story is, on the surface, about Moss, but I'm being sneaky.  Most of the PatsPulpit faithful know I have a ridiculous man crush on Wes Welker.  Against all odds, the little engine that can has become one of the most talented receivers in the NFL.  Don't believe me?  112 catches.  1,175 yards.  10.5 yard average.

We're all very much aware of Wes's ridiculous footwork.  He can make 90 degree jukes like noone I've ever seen, leaving DBs stunned.  Welker credits this ability to his love of soccer.  Requiring incredible footwork, extensive practice with a soccer ball generates heightened awareness of your feet and the ability to change direction rapidly:

Moss agrees. So impressed was he with what he saw from Welker last season, he's added his own soccer-specific drills to his training this offseason in Florida.

Welker had this to add:

We've kicked the ball around a little bit and I showed him some of the drills I've gone through," Welker said. "It's pretty impressive how he's gotten it in a short amount of time. He juggles it really well now, moves it around.

Moss's role is significantly different than Wes's role.  A great deal of Welker's routes are in the slot and underneath; fast footwork to get through razor thin seams is required and Wes is the best at it due to his footwork.  Moss, on the other hand, is typically running like a gazelle down the sidelines.  His body may not be built for the fast changes in direction Welker can pull off, but you never know - it could help him tremendously.

I predict many NFL receiver coaches will be adding drills like this after witnessing the success Welker has had.  They'd be idiots not to.  The Wes Welker Method.  And yet, somehow I still think Wes will remain humble:

I was talking to my parents about it and I told them, 'This is crazy - Randy is asking me about soccer so he can use it to make him better. We're talking about one of the best receivers in the NFL, and he's asking me?

The little engine that can.  You're not too bad yourself, Wes.  Not too bad at all.

This voluntary (yeah right) first practice is a chance for everyone to dust off the cobwebs and for the rookies to get their first taste of BB's system.  Speaking of Belichick, he views this an important part of the preparation:

"It's a teaching camp," said Belichick. "We try to install a good part of our system and give them a chance to execute it and get familiar with it and hear it called and try to run it, just getting a chance to go through it on the field in a team setting.

Injury riddled for the last couple of years, WR Chad Jackson is ready to hit the field and prove his worth.  The departure of Donte Stallworth certainly created an opportunity for him, but he's gotta deliver.

via cachemediasrv.patriots.com

Rookies and recent acquisitions traded catches from Brady with the likes of Mistah Buttah himself, Randy Moss:

He looked as smooth as ever. He makes catching the ball look so easy. It’s funny to watch guys like C.J. Jones, Matthew Slater or even Kelley Washington take one rep and Moss the next. The guy is one of the truly natural wonders of the football world. He’s special.

Rookie Matthew Slater lined up on offense as a WR.  You may recall he did double duty as a WR and S during rookie camp.  Belichick loves guys like this; he will most likely spend a lot of time on special teams, but it's good to know the kid is versatile.

Sammy Morris is back and looking strong despite missing the last half of the 2007 season with a chest injury.  Considered fragile, I hope he can stay healthy; I've always liked him because he seems like a sure and decisive RB.  He finds the holes and goes for it rather than bouncing around.

With the departure of Asante Samuel, the CB position is begging for someone to come and take it.  The field is crowded with FAs Fernando Bryant, Jason Webster and Lewis Sanders vying for a spot with rookies Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.  It remains to be seen if Asante's shoes can be filled.

Terrence Wheatley
via multimedia.heraldinteractive.com