Patriots Should Keep Brandon LaFell

One of the biggest questions that has surrounded the Patriots this offseason is what will they do at the receiver position. Julian Edelman is obviously safe and secure, and while some have pondered cutting Danny Amendola, I think that would be a very dumb thing to do. He doesn’t put up insane numbers, but Tom Brady‘s offense is much better when Amendola is on the field. When everyone is healthy, Danny usually gets 1-on-1 matchups with the third and fourth string corners, and I am taking Amendola in that battle every single time.

However, moving on from Brandon LaFell is a much more feasible option right now for Bill Belichick and company. He had a pretty bad 2015 campaign, dropping balls, not separating and frequently not being on the same page with his quarterback. So the question remains, should the Pats move on?

My answer is no.

I’m not saying that because I believe LaFell will all of a sudden turn in a terrific 2016 season, but more because there isn’t much out there on the free agent market. I’d say the top guys New England could target in a reasonable price range would be Mohammed Sanu and possibly Marvin Jones, although I doubt they would shell out the kind of money Jones wants. And when you look at Sanu, do you honestly see a guy that can produce better in this offense than LaFell? I personally don’t, which is why the Patriots would probably be better off sticking with LaFell, and hoping he bounces back next season.

That’s not to say they shouldn’t add more depth, because they absolutely should. Targeting lower level free agents and using a draft pick or two on a wideout is a must for the Pats, because as we saw last year, lack of depth on the outside can come back to haunt a team.

I’d also like to add that while adding to the receiver position is important, making sure the offensive line is better should be priority number one. If Tom Brady just has time to throw with these current weapons, that would be enough for a Super Bowl-caliber offense. Improve the offensive line, and all of these problems go away.