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New England Patriots: Predicting top target for Tom Brady in 2017

By Stephen Ur

Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) with wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) with wide receiver Danny Amendola (80) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tom Brady has always made the New England Patriots a successful team. No matter who his receivers are, he has made the offense successful. Each year, he has also had a favorite receiver. Who will be his top target in 2017?

Tight end Rob Gronkowski will most likely be Tom Brady’s top target this coming season should Gronkowski remain healthy. This article looks over which New England Patriots wide receiver will be targeted most by Brady.

Julian Edelman was the top guy from last season. Edelman caught 98 passes for 1,106 yards and three touchdowns. While Edelman was the top target, he wasn’t the only target.

Chris Hogan became a big-time player for New England towards the end of the season and in the postseason. He finished with 38 catches for 680 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He could easily see his numbers increase next season.

Danny Amendola finished with 23 catches for 243 yards and four touchdowns. Like Gronkowski, Amendola was limited to 12 games. With a full season, he could see more passes coming his way.

Then there’s the new guy in town. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks caught 78 passes for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns with the New Orleans Saints in 2016. That was with him being Drew Brees‘ top target. Brady will get Cooks the ball, but don’t expect him to be Brady’s top guy – at least, not when the season starts.

For the first few weeks, Edelman will get the most passes thrown his way from Brady among the Patriots’ wide receiving corps. Brady has played with him more than the other receivers, which means they’ll have most chemistry on the field. Hogan, coming off his amazing postseason performance, will be the second guy.

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That could all change as the season goes on, however. Brady is a quarterback who makes sure the workload is spread all throughout his offense. Despite the addition of Cooks, expect to see Edelman continue to be the top target among the wide receivers in 2017.

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