The second day of the NFL’s negotiation window saw the New England Patriots make just one addition. It was a significant one, however, as they agreed to terms with wide receiver Romeo Doubs on a four-year deal.
With Doubs now in the fold, here’s who was impacted the most, both positively and negatively, by the move.
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Winners
QB Drake Maye: After addressing a hole on the offensive line Monday night, New England added their first pass catcher of free agency for Maye. Doubs is an upgrade over the Patriots current pass catching group and will likely take on some of the responsibilities that Stefon Diggs fulfilled last season. And at 25 years old, Doubs and Maye have a chance to grow together over the course of the receiver’s prime years.
OC Josh McDaniels: Doubs spent most of his time out wide (82%) for the Green Bay offense. But, he was one of the most efficient receivers in limited action out of the slot and works well in the intermediate area of the field — making him a fit in the Patriots Z/slot role as well.
New England already saw Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams provide similar inside-out versatility last season. With Doubs’ skillset now added, that group will give McDaniels plenty of options to mix-and-match different personnel groupings in order to hunt mismatches.
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Red zone offense: The Patriots red zone offense was largely average last season, finishing the regular season with a touchdown percentage on 57% of their trips (17th). In the postseason, they converted just one-third of their red zone trips into scores. Doubs will help change that, as his 6-foot-2 frame, strong hands, and ability to separate off the line of scrimmage has made him a consistent red zone threat during his four years in the league — with 20 of his 23 career touchdowns coming inside the 20.
Losers
TBD: The aforementioned versatility Doubs brings to the table makes it tough to predict one particular wide receiver that will see a decrease in playing time and targets. Doubs will play more than the 55% of offensive snaps Diggs played last season, but New England will continue to rotate at the position as they need the collection of different skillsets (such as Kyle Williams’ speed and verticality).
Still, Doubs addition will knock others down a peg on the depth chart and potentially could cost someone in the group a roster spot in the long run.
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