The Braxton Berrios Beneficiary
The Braxton Berrios Beneficiary
Braxton Berrios during his time at the University of Miami was one of the best slot receivers in college football. He was also the valedictorian of the business school his senior year. It looked like he had it all. The Patriots selected him in the sixth round of the 2018 draft. Sounds like a steal right? New England is famous for great slot receivers like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. This was supposed to be the next great Patriot slot weapon. However, things didn’t work out. He missed his entire rookie year due to an injury, and he was cut from the team during the preseason of his second year. The Jets picked him up and he has become a really good weapon as he approaches free agency. Reports say the Jets are interested in keeping him.
The Big Picture
The numbers won’t blow you away, but Berrios has come around in the 21-22 season. He has 46 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns. He has become a versatile weapon as a slot, return man, and running the jet sweep - especially during the last few weeks of the season. He has a chance to get a really good deal and he is an intriguing player to watch on the open market. It remains to be seen if the Jets want to keep Jamison Crowder, who has been the primary slot option. He is getting older. At that position especially, age presents a challenge and drops become more frequent. Berrios is 26 and still has some productive years ahead of him for the right team.
Reunion?
The Patriots are in need of a traditional slot receiver. Jakobi Meyers is great, but it’s looking more and more likely that his long term future with the team is not on the inside. That’s perfectly fine, he has the best hands on the team, so the Patriots will find a role for him. The receiver class is deep again coming out of college, but is there anyone who they feel fits the mold for the typical New England slot receiver? If not, try to get Berrios back.
They still have some money to spend and plenty of holes to address. However, so do the Jets. The Jets will also have some tough decisions to make with quite a few pending free agents. The Patriots coaching staff has done this before and know what it takes to develop and inside presence on offense. Mac Jones has done a good job in his rookie campaign, but he’s missing a true slot receiver, and deep threat. Meyers and Nelson Agholor are not good enough in the roles they are in. If the Patriots get back to what has worked for their passing attack for so long, that will take the offense back to the next level.
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