The New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Marqise Lee on Thursday, adding veteran depth to the wide receiver room before the first round of the NFL Draft. Lee has Lee has battled injuries recently. However, he has a chance to provide depth and veteran leadership to the wide receivers room.
From his college days at USC, Lee showed he could be an impact playmaker. Now, he is looking to revive his career and start anew. New England could be the perfect spot for him as the team itself is in a similar situation. They are looking to revamp the offense as they prepare for a new era of football.
Here are three things to know about New England’s newest acquisition.
Lee is a bit of a wildcard
There is a little bit of a wildcard factor when it comes to Lee. He is productive when he sees the field. In 2016 and 2017 combined, he had 119 catches for 1,553 yards and six touchdowns.
The 2018 and 2019 seasons were a different story. He missed all of 2018 due to injuries, and was only able to play in six games in 2019 due to knee problems. He is a bit of a wildcard in the sense that he has been hurt a bit over the past couple of years, but is productive when healthy.
If he can get back to those 2016 numbers, that would certainly be beneficial for New England. That year, he caught 63 passes for 851 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per receptions. He played in 16 games that year, starting six of them.
New England would also be happy with 2017 production. He started in all 14 games, and caught 56 passes for 702 yards and three touchdowns.
It would certainly help New England’s depth at the wide receiver spot if he is able to say healthy and record the numbers of prior years.