The New England Patriots traveled to Denver on Saturday for their upcoming AFC Championship clash with the Broncos. They did so with one of their starting wide receivers in the fold: Mack Hollins, who spent the last four weeks on injured reserve, is officially back.
As the Patriots announced, Hollins has been activated to the 53-man roster
amid a series of transactions. Let’s assess what the move means.Wide receiver group back at full strength
With Hollins back, the Patriots have all of their core wide receivers available again. In total,
they now have six wideouts on the active roster, plus two more to round out the depth chart on the practice squad:
53-man roster (6): Kayshon Boutte (9), Stefon Diggs (8), Mack Hollins (13), DeMario Douglas (3), Kyle Williams (18), Efton Chism III (86)
Practice squad (2): Jeremiah Webb (29), John Jiles (83)
Depending on package and situation, the Patriots call on different members of their wide receivers group. Hollins, however, has been a regular in most groupings: before he was placed on IR in late December, he had been on the field for 657 offensive snaps — most among the team’s wideouts — and ranked third on the team in catches (46) and receiving yards (550).
It remains to be seen whether or not he will pick up where he left off, but as a top-three receiver Hollins does add a starter-level presence to New England’s offense.
Trickle-down effect on depth chart
The Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart will look different following Hollins’ return and him presumably moving back into a starting spot on offense. First of all, rookie Efton Chism is now in real danger of losing his spot on the game day roster; he was part of the group to help replace Hollins but with the veteran back might not provide the same value he had over the last four weeks.
Another rookie, Kyle Williams, will also likely be affected. While not the same player as Hollins from a build and skillset perspective, he did see an uptick in opportunities as WR3 with the 32-year-old sidelined. Williams will remain part of the mix due to his ability to stretch the field, but his opportunities will be more select again.
Impact on and off the field
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 221 pounds, Hollins is an imposing presence in the receiver room and among the biggest weapons the Patriots have available. He also is noticeably taller than the cornerbacks he will be going up against this week: the Broncos have only two cornerbacks on their roster taller than 6 feet, which could create some matchup opportunities for New England.
Hollins combines size with some A-grade physicality that regularly shows up in the run game. While not quite as heavy as a tight end, he offers some of the same traits as well as the willingness to get his hands dirty as a blocker.
In addition to his on-field contributions as an intermediate receiver, Hollins also is a leader on the team. Granted, he remained involved while on injured reserve, but his impact can still be more direct when part of the game day squad.
Defensive line depth takes a theoretical hit
Hollins being activated was, procedurally, the second shoe to drop. For him to have a spot on the active roster, another move was necessary. It came in the form of backup defensive tackle Eric Gregory being sent to injured reserve himself for an undisclosed ailment.
The move came rather surprisingly given that he was not listed on any of this week’s practice reports. It also thins the herd along the interior defensive line, at least theoretically. Gregory, after all, was a regular on the game day inactives list, and recently found himself even behind frequent practice squad elevatee Leonard Taylor II in the pecking order.
