Apparently the New England Patriots didn’t view wide receiver as a primary need in the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Patriots didn’t select a receiver despite having 11 picks in the draft. They did come out of the undrafted free-agent signing period with two wideouts, however.
The Patriots gave Cal wide receiver Chris Harper a $15,000 signing bonus, and $5,000 of his 2015 base salary is guaranteed. They also gave former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner a $5,000 signing bonus, and $10,000 of his 2015 base salary is guaranteed.
Harper caught 163 passes in three years with the Golden Bears, racking up 2,030 yards and 13 touchdowns. He ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash with a 7.03-second 3-cone drill at his pro day.
Gardner has a long transition to wide receiver in the NFL. The former quarterback ran for 916 yards and 24 touchdowns at Michigan. He caught 16 passes for 266 yards with four touchdowns in 2012, so he does have some experience as a wideout.
Gardner will need time to adjust at the new position, however, either on the practice squad or at the bottom of the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart.
Julian Edelman was drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft after playing quarterback in college, and he caught 37 passes for 359 yards with a touchdown during his rookie season.
It’s unlikely Gardner will initially put up similar numbers, however, because the Patriots’ current depth chart is in much better shape than it was in 2009. The Patriots expected Greg Lewis or Joey Galloway to be their third receiver that season. Lewis was cut before Week 1, and Galloway made it through just three games before being a healthy scratch and cut before Week 7.
That left Edelman and Sam Aiken, a special-teams ace, competing for the No. 3 receiver role.
The Patriots have three solid starters this season in Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola, while Aaron Dobson, Brandon Gibson, Brian Tyms and Harper, among others, will compete for spots on the 53-man roster.
If the Patriots decide Gardner is so good they don’t want to risk him being picked up off waivers by another team, then they can store him on their 53-man roster and deactivate him for games until he’s ready. If they decide the extra roster spot is worth the risk, they can waive him at the end of training camp and hope he makes it onto their practice squad.
Harper and Gardner should be given every opportunity to make the Patriots’ 53-man roster, depending on how they perform this spring and summer. Dobson is a former second-round draft pick but he played just four games last season, catching three passes for 38 yards. He was leapfrogged on the Patriots’ depth chart by Brian Tyms, who caught just five passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in 11 games.
Gibson had success under Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with the Rams, catching 36 passes for 431 yards with a touchdown, but he was the Dolphins’ No. 4 receiver last year and signed a contract with just $40,000 guaranteed.
Even if Gardner doesn’t make the 53-man roster, it will be fun to watch the quarterback try to learn his new position in training camp. At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, he certainly has the size to make the jump.
Thumbnail photo via Andrew Weber/USA TODAY Sports Images
