Patriots Receiving Core an Open Competition?

Today, Josh McDaniels was asked about his offense and how hard it was to deal with a completely new receiving core. McDaniels said:

"We have to take the same approach. We have to go back and establish a foundation. We have to teach them what we believe in and what our system is all about. And that happened back in 2007, but it happened in '06” -- “it happened in subsequent years with subsequent players in different positions. Our mode and our approach doesn't really change. We still go back and teach them from A to Z. Whether they know it already or not, they're going to hear it again."

I find this quote interesting, but for a different reason than most. You see, most people look at this quote and think "wow this is going to be a rough transition period for Tom Brady, Josh McDaniels and all the new receivers," but I really look at the tail end of his quote. The end basically says no matter how long you have been here in New England, the Patriots still go back and teach everyone just the same. Sure the fact that this offense is in transition is a story, but there is a more interesting one.

If we’re dealing with Welker back and Stallworth back it’s one thing, but I think the fact that this is an entirely new receiving core changes everything. Think of it this way - Branch-gone, Welker-gone, Stallworth-gone and Lloyd-gone.

Aaron Dobson

So the interesting part is this idea that everyone is starting from the same playing field, rookies and veterans alike. This will allow for even the rookies to have an opportunity to get in there in a starting role. Sure, Amendola is the favorite because he makes the most, but what Dobson has been showing has been positive and I wouldn’t rule anything out.

The Patriots and McDaniels are working with eight new receivers and five of them are rookies. This is the first time I can remember that everyone will be competing for basically two receiver positions. Maybe it's just me, but I find that competition will make most players play even better than one's that know they have the job.

Josh Brown
@TitleTownTalkSB