FOXBOROUGH – One of them has to hit. After drafting Aaron Dobson during the second round, the New England Patriots doubled down on wide receivers during the third day of the NFL Draft by drafting Josh Boyce out of TCU with the 102nd pick. In a measured and concise conference call, Boyce said he was "just happy they gave...
FOXBOROUGH – One of them has to hit.
After drafting Aaron Dobson during the second round, the New England Patriots doubled down on wide receivers during the third day of the NFL Draft by drafting Josh Boyce out of TCU with the 102nd pick.
In a measured and concise conference call, Boyce said he was "just happy they gave me a call and that I get chance to play for a great organization."
It may not quite be fair to this as the flood approach to roster building the team has used in the past by parading in veteran players to compete for jobs since both rookie receivers are almost assured a grace period to find their footing, but there are elements of that at play here.
After losing Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch, Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker earlier this offseason, New England is in the process of revamping the position. Danny Amendola was brought in to replace Welker, while Donald Jones and Michael Jenkins were signed to compete on the outside, but there are no sure things within the group.
Jones is more of an idea than a proven commodity, and there are questions about Jenkins' ability to contribute on a consistent basis. On paper, Dobson and Boyce have the ability to excel, but question marks surround both players coming out of the draft.
Dobson is tall, possesses a solid set of hands and boasts good speed. Boyce (5-foot-11, 206 pounds) was one of the stars of the scouting combine posting a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash and a 6.68 with a fracture in his foot. If his foot were healthy, Boyce said he "probably" would have been even faster.
However, Dobson is coming out of a rather simple offense at Marshall and will have to prove that he can grasp New England's complex offense. As far as Boyce is concerned, there are questions about his concentration level and ability to hold onto the football. But learning the offense, at least on paper, shouldn't be a problem.
He scored a 23 on the Wonderlic at the combine and citing his mind as his greatest attribute, Boyce explained that that he often had to run options routes based on the coverage at TCU, which is similar to what he will be asked to do in New England.
Playing on both the inside and outside, Boyce caught 161 passes for 2535 yards with 22 touchdowns over three seasons before graduating with a degree in sociology.
"I'm really smart so I think I can pick up things pretty quick," Boyce said. "I see a lot things before they happen, so I think my mind is what's working for me a lot of times."
TCU wide receiver Josh Boyce (82) runs into the end zone for the go-ahead, two-point conversion with just over a minute left in TCU's 36-35 victory over Boise State in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/The Idaho Press-Tribune, Greg Kreller) MANDATORY CREDIT From a physical standpoint, Boyce's greatest attribute will be his ability to get down the field, but his speed doesn't always show up on short and intermediate routes. If he is able to develop in those areas, he has the potential to be a solid No. 2 receiver.
And he may already have some insight into how the Patriots operate. Boyce shares an agent with Tom Brady and Julian Edelman, and worked out with the wide receiver throughout the offseason.
Boyce does not currently have a close relationship with Brady, but did meet him during a visit to Gillette Stadium, which took place on the same day as Dobson's.
Boyce is excited to get the opportunity to catch passes from Brady, after doing so with Robert Griffin III in high school and Andy Dalton in college. But right now none of that has really kicked in.
"I don't think it's sunk in yet," he said. "I'm excited but it hasn't really sunk in yet."
There's time for all of that. Once it does sink in and he and Dobson have a chance to start getting up to speed, the New England offense could be extremely dangerous.
But nothing is guaranteed.