There is no sugar-coating it: the New England Patriots fielded arguably the worst skill position group in football last season. A lack of talent at the wide receiver position, especially the perimeter, played a big role in this and contributed to the team’s lackluster performance in the passing game.
The Patriots’ primary outside targets — Damiere Byrd and N’Keal Harry — combined to catch 80 passes for 913 yards and 3 touchdowns. What would have been solid production for one player, certainly is not for two; that is especially true if those two are asked to play starter-level roles on a week-to-week basis.