Why New England has a top-five worst WR corps

Andy Behrens & Matt Harmon rank the top-five worst receiving groups in the NFL. Their number three pick: the New England Patriots. After shelling out big bucks for Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor in the offseason, Matt & Andy are still scratching their heads about how they can increase their offensive production.

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Video Transcript

ANDY BEHRENS: I think there's a very clear bottom three. I'm interested to see if you you agree with this, but, I think there's a very clear bottom three among Receiving Corps, so give me your give me your third worst.

MATT HARMON: OK, number 3 is New England.

- Yeah, that's where I got 'em.

- I feel like that might even be too generous, though, you know, obviously, they just lose Edelman, who, I wasn't really factoring into the equation anyways, because, he was-- we all knew he was not healthy. At the same time, I really like Jakobi Meyers I like what Jakobi Meyers has shown so far through his career. Him and Cam really had a connection last year. I always thought Kendrick Bourne-- I mean, the money was crazy that they gave Kendrick Bourne, but I think he can be a fine number three receiver for a run-heavy team. I mean, that's basically what he was with the 49ers anyways, and he produced when called upon. Like, I think Kendrick Bourne is a decent player.

And I always I've always been a Nelson Agholor fan through all of the drops and stuff. Even last year he had a ton of drops but you just care less because when he's catching passes, they're 40-30 yards down the field as opposed to with the stupid Eagles, they're just throwing him these like popgun passes, like little slants and flats out of the slot. It's like, well, if he drops a five yard pass, yeah, I'm pissed because the reward is, oh, he would have caught a five yard pass, great, wonderful. That's really good for the offense.

So, I think the risk/reward of Agholor as a player, if you're going to use him as a vertical receiver-- which I think they will here in New England-- the risk has been outweighed by the potential reward, as long as he's playing that role, if that makes any sense. And like I said, I like Bourne. I like Myers. But they're still really weak at the position. So that's why I don't have them as the stone worst or the second worst, I have them at number three because these are obviously guys-- like, I'm hoping Borne and Meyers prove to be starting level guys.

There is still some risk with Agholor as a player. The money was dumb for Agholor and Bourne, but, I think they're OK players, basically.

- Well, I think the money needed to be spent to lure anyone to New England. Which is, obviously, you know, we talked about Baltimore not necessarily being a ripe environment for pass catchers, New England sure isn't. Because Cam didn't really pass the I test last year, like, we can't imagine that this is going to be like-- they're not going to produce a 4,000 yard passer unless they somehow draft one. It's just not going to be Cam this year.

It is hard to imagine that this is going to be an environment that produces like an 1,100-1,200yard receiver. So there aren't a lot of stats to be found there. They did do well at tight end, right? Like, for whatever that's worth, they bring in Henry, they bring in Smith, that's a great combo. It's one of the NFL's best, right now, right? So that's pretty exciting.

I don't know how any of these guys fit with the version of Cam Newton that we have right now. We kind of put together these lists independent of who the quarterback was. This wasn't about thinking who the quarterback was and what that fit is like. I don't know what it's going to look like with Nelson Agholor. But I but I don't see Cam as necessarily a timing and rhythm sort of passer, so, I have no problem imagining that Agholor and Cam hook up, I don't know, six-seven times this year for big splash plays, maybe touchdowns. So I don't hate it for Agholor, he's pretty close to the number one there. He's fine. I don't know where do you think he's going to fall in your ranks?

- Oh, I mean nowhere interesting.