Patriots kick-off 2016 in 82 days: Profiling No. 82 Keshawn Martin
Patriots kick-off 2016 in 82 days: Profiling No. 82 Keshawn Martin
Welcome to another installment in Musket Fire’s annual jersey number-dictated New England Patriots kick-off countdown series. For the duration of the summer, we will be profiling the player whose jersey number corresponds with the number of days left until the New England Patriots open the season against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 11. Since today marks 82 days until the Sunday Night Football opener, we are profiling No. 82 veteran wide receiver Keshawn Martin.
Size: 5-foot-10, 190 pounds
College: Michigan State
2015 stats: 24 receptions, 269 yards, two touchdowns
NFL experience: Four seasons
Hometown: Inkster, MI
Perhaps one of the more overlooked and under-talked about wide receiver on the Patriots’ roster entering 2016 training camp, Martin holds an advantage over the likes of Chris Hogan, Nate Washington, Malcolm Mitchell and Devin Lucien in that he has experience in the Patriots’ offensive system. Not only that, but Martin also displayed consistency and reliability while filling in for Julian Edelman and/or Danny Amendola last year.
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That all being said, there are drawbacks to Martin that could cost him his spot on the roster in 2016. He’s not exactly a game breaker, big-play type of receiver. He isn’t insanely fast, or all that big at just 5-foot-10.
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Martin will have to prove his worth to the Patriots in his first full summer with the team since being traded for last September. Whether it’s on punt returns, finding holes in the defense as a slot wideout or finding a knack to get open on crossing patterns, Martin must force the Patriots’ hand or else he will be cut, simple as that.
Recent installments in Patriots kick-off countdown profile series:
83 days – No. 83 Martellus Bennett
84 days – No. 84 Nate Washington
One final note: Martin’s first touchdown with the Patriots came in Week 3 in the romp over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it was a result of him reading a scrambling Tom Brady, breaking off his route to get open and finishing the play. If Martin does that throughout the dog days of summer, he will find a way onto the final roster.
Be sure to stop by Musket Fire tomorrow morning as we mark 81 days until the Patriots open 2016 by profiling the owner of the No. 81 jersey, rookie tight end Bryce Williams.