The New England Patriots added some talented depth at wide receiver before the 2020 NFL Draft.
New England signed former Jacksonville Jaguar Marqise Lee on Thursday to a one-year contract. He was released by the Jaguars on Monday after spending six years with the team. Lee, 28, missed most of the past two seasons with knee injuries and will remain a mystery going forward with his health status.
How will an oft-injured receiver make an impact for the Patriots? There’s no guarantee he will, but Bill Belichick wouldn’t bring in a player with his injury history without a team-friendly contract. Lee’s upside can be tremendous if healthy, and the Patriots could release him if his health isn’t up to par.
The Patriots have some serious holes in the offense right now and they don’t have Tom Brady to cover them up. Talent at tight end is nonexistent and the wide receiver group isn’t anywhere near elite. New England has Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Mohamed Sanu and Jakobi Meyers as its primary weapons.
Lee is a speedster who proved his capability in 2016 and 2017 before going down with the knee injuries. He totaled 116 catches, 1,553 yards and six touchdowns during those seasons. Lee has a total of 174 receptions, 2,184 yards and eight touchdowns in the 59 NFL games he’s played in.
He’s a highly recruited player who’s value dropped immensely because of injury. Belichick has made moves on free agents in Lee’s situation throughout his entire coaching career and it always results in a low-risk, high-reward scenario.
The Patriots didn’t find their guy to take the top off and lead the receiver group, but he can be a solid depth guy if healthy.
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