Why can’t the Patriots find – or keep – a strong outside receiver?

Despite boasting some of the best offenses in the history of the NFL, the Patriots have routinely whiffed at the outside receiver position.

The New England Patriots‘ dynasty has been defined by excellence at a multitude of positions.

The head coach is widely considered the greatest of all time. The starting quarterback is also routinely referred to as the G.O.A.T. If Rob Gronkowski isn’t similarly viewed as the greatest ever among tight ends, he unequivocally belongs in the conversation at least.

Yet for all its Hall of Fame-caliber weapons and playmakers, wide receiver has not been a strong suit for New England.

Sure, there have been some notable exceptions throughout the last two decades of Patriots dominance. Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Deion Branch, and Troy Brown are the first names that come to mind. Current wideout Julian Edelman has also established himself firmly in Boston lore after his Super Bowl LI heroics.

But ask any analyst what makes Tom Brady so special and you’ll hear the same answer: he has done more with less than any other quarterback in history.

Just consider the pure pass-catching talent surrounding some of his contemporaries:

• Peyton Manning = Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark
• Aaron Rodgers = Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, Davante Adams
• Ben Roethlisberger = Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, Heath Miller
• Philip Rivers = Keenan Allen, Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson
• Eli Manning = Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Plaxico Burress
• Drew Brees = Michael Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston

Today’s NFL is littered with dynamic, talented, game-breaking receivers. Julio Jones, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green… the list goes on and on, from franchise to franchise, coast to coast.

Just not for the Patriots. No disrespect to Julian Edelman, who is as tough and reliable as they come, but he is one of the last players you’d think of when listing the top No. 1 receivers around the league.

So why has New England struggled to find – and keep – a premier outside threat for Tom Brady?

The answer starts and ends with Bill Belichick. For all his coaching wizardry and prowess, Belichick the GM has a checkered resume when it comes to identifying talent.

He has swung and struck out on numerous college receivers over the years. Aaron Dobson, Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, Josh Boyce, and Taylor Price were all drafted in the fourth round or higher by Belichick, and not a one of them made any kind of lasting impact for the team.

His record with trades and free agency isn’t much better. Brandin Cooks, Chad Johnson/Ochocinco, Brandon Lloyd, Joey Galloway, Michael Floyd… each came to Gillette Stadium with the promise of great things to come, and each ultimately left Pats fans utterly underwhelmed and unsatisfied.

And now we can add Josh Gordon’s name to this “what if?” pile of failed Patriots reclamation projects.

It’s telling that the team’s receiver stable has been a revolving door since training camp. New Englanders should have known right then and there that they’d seen this story before, and that the ending would look the same: with the Patriots presumably making another playoff run with no true receiving threat outside the numbers.

They’ve won it all that way before – now can they do it once again?