The New England Patriots’ wide receiver room is crowded.
With seven players on the depth chart who have NFL experience and production, something could have to change by roster cutdown day next week. That decision will ultimately be made by head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
All in all, it’s a welcomed problem.
“It’s funny to listen to it, because a couple of years ago everybody was saying that we didn’t have anything and now we have too many, so it’s
a good problem to have,” Wolf told WBZ during Saturday’s preseason game.
“The thing I really like about the group — we have a bunch of good players, they all compliment each other well. [Josh McDaniels]’ offense, it’s pretty nuanced and there’s a lot of different roles. We have guys that can fill out those roles and we’re excited about what they’re going to bring to us this year.”
The Patriots strengthened the room this offseason by acquiring A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. They joined a depth chart that included DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and second-year receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III.
With the veterans sitting out Saturday’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, snaps were available throughout the first-half for Williams and Chism. The duo showcased why the Patriots’ wide receiver room is not only deep, but talented.
“I love [Kyle’s] ability outside the numbers to be able to stretch the field. And we wanted to give him some more opportunities to be able to do that as well as work on some of the stuff that Todd [Downing] and Josh [McDaniels] have him trying to improve on,” Vrabel said.
“And it was good to see Chiz come out tonight and do some things and just try to be able to evaluate everybody as we look to build this roster.”
Williams night wasn’t perfect, as he hauled in just 2-of-6 targets, but he showcased that special ability to stretch the field in the second quarter, getting behind Philadelphia’s defense to haul in a 69-yard touchdown from Tommy DeVito — reaching more than 20 mph in the process.
Chism, meanwhile, caught all four of his targets for 45 yards, including a 24-yard catch on third-down on a Josh McDaniels staple.
As the young duo have continued to impress on the field, they have embraced the competition in their room, seeing the talent around them as something that can make everyone better.
“I think anytime there’s competition, as a competitor, you rise up, you take that challenge on, and you just go out there and compete every day,” Chism said. “The room we have, it’s so special. It’s so awesome to be a part of.”
“It’s competitive, but it’s friendly competition. Nobody gets mad at anybody,” Williams added. “It’s iron sharpening iron at the end of the day. So, I’m really glad to have these great group of guys — great vets from top down. So, it’s just a fun room to be in.”
As New England ultimately cuts their roster down to 53 players by Aug. 30, it’s hard to envision either second-year receiver not being a part of the group.
That could result in the team keeping all seven players on the active roster, unless a trade comes together for Boutte, who requested one back in the spring and remains in the final year of his rookie contract.
For now, the Patriots have the kind of depth that makes difficult decisions a good thing.
“That’s the best possible situation you can ask for in an organization,” Tommy DeVito said. “To have so many options where you have to make hard decisions like that. But again, that’s just a testament to the coaching and to the guys of just coming in every day, putting their hard hats on and working, and not worrying too much about what that [cut down] day is like.”
