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In yesterday's joint practice against the Washington Redskins, two veteran wide receivers vying for playing time, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola, both had a chance to shine. According to observers, Brady was in a rhythm with both receivers, as each had one of their better training camp sessions to date.
Following practice, Brady had some kind words for LaFell:
He keeps making more plays. He’s done a great job. Today he made a lot of plays out there. He’s understanding better and better. He’s a veteran. He’s savvy, knows how to run the routes, big body, big frame, makes a lot of tough catches.
It's good to see LaFell beginning to emerge, as the contract the Patriots signed him to this offseason was reflective of a player that they saw as a #3 receiver, not a #4 or a #5.
That being said, LaFell is going to have to earn his playing time, and there is plenty of competition. Kenbrell Thompkins has had a strong and consistent training camp, and still appears to be ahead of LaFell on the depth chart at this time. Josh Boyce has been pushed down the depth chart a bit due to an early camp injury and the emergence of Thompkins, but he had a great minicamp and could still be a factor there as well.
Of course, there's always Aaron Dobson. Everyone was hoping that he would emerge as the team's #2 or #3 receiver this season. However, he's been rehabbing from offseason foot surgery and has yet to take the field for training camp. Even if he does return before the month's end, it's really hard to know what to expect.
Therefore, I pose the question to you, who will be the Patriots' 3rd and 4th leading receivers in 2014 (assuming Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are one and two, in some order)? Feel free to leave statistical predictions below for the fantasy spin.
Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $100,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 1's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts Sunday, September 7th at 1pm ET.Here's the link