New England Patriots interested in keeping Donte’ Stallworth
The New England Patriots are in the market for a deep threat, and Armando Salguerro tweeted late last night that the Patriots have shown interest in Mike Wallace. While he is the bona fide deep threat the Patriots are looking for, Wallace’s price tag will likely cause him to not sign in New England.
Dec 10, 2012; Foxborough, MA USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Donte
The Patriots are also showing interest in signing another wide receiver who can stretch the field vertically, but this player is more of a WR in the mold of veteran depth. Even so, I would be a fan of re-signing this player. The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe tweeted that the New England Patriots are interested in keeping veteran wideout Donte’ Stallworth, but that a deal is on the “back burner” for “a bit longer” right now.
Stallworth may not have the best hands in the world, but he still has a whole lot of speed. Even at the tender age of 32, Stallworth is still a viable receiver at the back end of the depth chart. As we saw in the only game he played this past season for the Patriots, Stallworth still has his stuff going deep. He caught a 62-yard touchdown pass against the Houston Texans, and Stallworth still has plenty of athleticism left in him.
I would rather keep Stallworth than any other veteran wide receiver, including Deion Branch and especially Randy Moss. Stallworth has a good rapport with Tom Brady, impressed Bill Belichick and others with his speed and athleticism in training camp, and he truly brings something else to the table with the ability to stretch the field vertically. While the Patriots are looking for a true No.1 playmaking wide receiver, keeping Donte’ Stallworth would be a good move for the Pats. All he would do take a few snaps per game, but he would provide real value to this team downfield in those limited snaps. His veteran presence and familiarity with the team would also be welcome, and I am glad there is interest in keeping Stallworth from the Pats.
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