In 2012 the New England Patriots once again had the most potent offense in the NFL. Anchored by future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady the Patriots racked up an incredible 427.9 yards of offense and scored 34.8 points per game, both tops in the league.
The 2013 NFL offseason has not been kind to Coach Belichick’s
bunch, especially on the offensive side of the ball. With Aaron Hernandez
facing murder charges, Wes Welker in Denver with Peyton Manning, Brandon Lloyd
sitting on his couch and Rob Gronkowski recovering from yet another offseason
surgery, the once mighty Patriots have grown vulnerable. Or have they? Here’s a
look at five little known Patriots players who will rise to the occasion in
2013 and help the Patriots make yet another Super Bowl run.
Shane Vereen – RB
After double dipping at TE in the 2010 NFL draft the
Patriots spent two early round picks on the running back position in 2011. At
the 56th pick (second round) they took Cal’s 5’10” 205 lb. burner Shane Vereen
and with the 73rd pick (third round) they selected 5’11 ¼” 225 lb. Stevan
Ridley out of LSU. Both picks were
called reaches by many a pundit, including ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
We all know what Ridley did last year (1,263 yards and 12 TDs) and he looks to continue his dominating ways as lead rusher for the Patriots.
So where does that leave Vereen? Call me crazy, but when Vereen is healthy he has shown flashes of being more than worth the high pick the Pats invested in him. He is a fantastic pass catcher out of the backfield and has been effective running the ball as well. To date Vereen hasn’t been asked to produce on a weekly basis. In light of the shakeup at TE and the unproven WR corps in NE I suspect Belichick will once again revolutionize the game by playing frequent two TE-two RB sets and Vereen is a nightmare matchup regardless of where he lines up.
Bold Prediction: Shane Vereen will be The replacement for
Aaron Hernandez. He’ll have more rush yards and TDs than Hernandez (I predict
753 and 6) and will come close to Hernandez’s receiving totals as well (I say
62 catches for 583 yards and 8 TDS). He
will be the handcuff that keeps Ridley healthy and productive all season long
and surge the Patriot’s into the top 5 team rushing totals for the 2013 season.
Jake Ballard - TE
When the Patriots claimed
Jake Ballard off waivers, Giant’s fans called foul. Ballard, a 6'6", 275-pound bruiser out
of Ohio State was supposed to be New York’s tight end of the future, but after
tearing his ACL against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI he was waived with the
hope that he could be placed on injured reserve once he cleared. Bill Belichick
had other plans.
Now that the Patriot’s super TE duo has self-destructed (Aaron Hernandez faces murder charges and Rob Gronkowski is still recovering from multiple injuries) Belichick once again looks like the evil genius some have dubbed Darth Hoodie.
In 2011 Ballard caught 38 passes for 604 yards and 4 TDs. He proved he can play. In 2013 he has a chance to be a big target in the red zone for Tom Brady regardless of Gronk’s availability. He is a good blocker and has enough athletic ability to put a scare into opposing defenses.
Bold Prediction:
Even if Rob Gronkowski returns to his old form in 2013, (I think he will) I
have Ballard penciled in for 54 catches, 737 yards and 7 TDs. He will be the
left hand jab to Gronk’s knockout blow in the Patriot’s TE corps.
Aaron Dobson – WR
It has been a long time since the Patriots had a tall
receiver and with the all the chaos the offense has suffered this offseason Tom
Brady may have found a new best friend in Marshall wide receiver Aaron Dobson.
At 6’3” and 201 lbs. Aaron Dobson is the kind of guy who
will bring a dynamic unseen in New England since Randy Moss. His ridiculous catch against East
Carolina has become legend. Just imagine the fun Tom Brady will have with
hands like Dobson’s?
While a member of the Thundering Herd Dobson caught 165 passes for 2,398 yards and 24 TDs. The Patriots have a notoriously complicated offense and Dobson will have to succeed where so many other drafter WRs have failed for New England. Aaron Dobson will be the rookie wide receiver to break that trend and he will make Patriot’s fans cheer.
Bold Prediction:
Wes Welker is gone. Brandon Lloyd is gone.
Danny Amendola is in line for over 100 catches. Tom Brady will make Dobson a must have
fantasy player by mid-year. Draft him in the late rounds and ride him to the
fantasy playoffs. Dobson will have 56
catches for 1,009 yards and 11 TDs.
Zach Sudfeld – TE
While Jake Ballard will get most of the hype in the
Patriot’s offseason tight end battle the name you may come to know very well by
season’s end is Zach Sudfeld. This 6’7”
225 lb. undrafted rookie out of Nevada will help Coach Belichick and Patriot’s
fans heal post Hernandez.
Sudfeld isn’t the
athlete that Hernandez is, but his size and good route running will give Tom
Brady a much needed safety valve if Gronkowski misses any significant time.
Even when Gronk returns, Sudfled will have a place among Brady’s Bunch.
Bold Prediction: Sudfeld will make Pat’s fans cheer when he
catches 36 balls for 435 yards and 4 TDs.
Kenbrell Thompkins –
WR
Kenbrell Thompkins is the second undrafted rookie to make
this list. The 6’1” 195 lb. receiver out of Cincinnati has done so well in
training camp that the Patriots released offseason acquisition Donald
Jones. Recently Aqib Talib praised Thompkins’s
ability “to get off the line.”
He has seen significant first team reps in training camp and
has huge sleeper potential. If both
Dobson and Thompkins make the team, Brady could see a pair of 6’0” plus
receivers, something he has rarely seen in his career.
Bold Prediction: Thompkins will catch 48 balls for 625 yards
and 3 TDs. His stats will soar if he wins a starting role or sees more playing
time due to injury.
