Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald is reporting that Patriots sophomore wide receiver Aaron Dobson has traveled with the team to New York and is expected to have his season debut. The 6'3 outside target has missed the majority of the off-season as he's been recovering for a major surgery on his foot from back in March.
The return of Dobson marks another positive moment this offseason for the Patriots. While the team has been able to provide more targets to new acquisition Brandon LaFell in the absence of Dobson, adding one of the best rookie receivers in Bill Belichick's tenure is always great news.
Dobson will be battling LaFell and fellow sophomore Kenbrell Thompkins for playing time during the regular season, as all three provide a large presence on the sidelines. All three are quality route runners with their own issues of focus and dropping catchable passes. The hope would be for Dobson to quickly regain his position atop the depth chart, but the emergence of LaFell certainly gives Dobson more time to regain his football ability.