http://profootballta...-jabar-gaffney/Before the draft, wide receiver Jabar Gaffney said that the Redskins were trying to trade him. That didn’t happen, but Gaffney is still gone from Washington. Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports first reported that the team has released Gaffney and PFT has confirmed the news.
I know it's tiring to speculate about possible Patriot signings whenever any veteran is released, and our depth chart makes it unlikely, but...
Essentially, here's how everyone seems to feel about each other:
McDaniels LOVES Gaffney, and the feeling seems mutual. Gaffney followed McDaniels to Denver in 2009 (indeed, McDaniels' preference for Gaffney was one of the primary contributing causes that lead to Brandon Marshall's exit). For example:
http://espn.go.com/b...affney/count/31Denver coach Josh McDaniels has called receiver Jabar Gaffney one of the toughest people he’s ever coached. Gaffney is proving Sunday by playing despite breaking his thumb less than three weeks ago.
Also, here's what Gaffney had to say about the Patriots... while he was still a Redskin (before our December game last year):
http://www.providenc...v2.259aace.html“I had a great time when I was there, nothing but the utmost respect for the organization and the coaches. I mean, they always have a great team,” he said. And a great quarterback. I mean, (Tom) Brady, in my opinion, is probably the best in the game,” Gaffney said. “Definitely, definitely, the best quarterback I’ve played with. ...
I will never forget what I learned there and playing there under Belichick,” Gaffney said. “He taught me a lot about the NFL and how to survive in the NFL and be a great player. It was the best,” he said. “[He’s] a great coach. He makes his players be students of the game and he helped me out with that aspect a lot. He’s the man.” ...
“It’s a pretty tough offense and if you’re not really used to it, it can be a little overwhelming,” he said. “And with Bill, he doesn’t play you if you don’t know your stuff. He’s not going to put you out there and trust you in those situations. You have to be smart out there and you have to know everything. You can have four or five different routes on each play and you just need to be on the same page with the quarterback and reading the defense at the same time,” he explained.
And here's what Brady and Belichick said in response:
“He could do it all; he plays every position,” Brady said when asked about Gaffney. “I think that’s the thing makes him such a good receiver, is his versatility. There are times when you’re in the slot and then you have to go outside and now you’re in a bunch of receivers or you’re in a combination route with another receiver. Whatever it was, he’d always figure out a way to understand what he had to do and then get open.”
Said Belichick, “Of course we know Jabar is an excellent route-runner. He’s a good receiver, very disciplined and dependable guy. He and (Santana) Moss do a good job for them on the outside. They do a number of different things. Again, they change their passing game around from week to week.
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In addition, Gaffney:
- Was with the Patriots from 2006-2008, and is familiar with Brady and the playbook
- Is a large (6'2", 200 lbs) physical outside WR
- Has already gotten paid to have a larger role on bad teams (Broncos, Redskins)
- May be willing to accept less money/a smaller role to play for a contender again
At the moment, there's an opening at #3 on our depth chart (after Lloyd and Welker) for a larger, physical WR. Of these 3 options:
1. Gaffney
3. Johnson
3. Stallworth
I'd rather have Gaffney than either of the others. At 31, Gaffney's still got plenty in the tank (coming of 3 straight seasons of 50+ catches) and I think he could seamlessly fit into this Patriots offense.
Thoughts?
Edit: Formatting
Edited by dynomite, 02 May 2012 - 05:41 PM.
