The Patriots approach to the wide receiver position is often highly scrutinized as New England has yet to participate in a league-wide arms race at the top of the market.
As other teams hand out $20-plus million contracts to star receivers and use first-rounders to add playmakers, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is sticking to a more conservative approach. In the last three offseasons, Belichick's big wideout additions have been mid-level veterans and a day-two draft pick in second-year receiver Tyquan Thornton.
Whether you agree with the strategy or not, the overall impact that New England gets from the wide receiver position this season is predicated on four factors.