The New England Patriots are dealing with injuries during a season where they cannot necessarily afford them. With Tom Brady still presumably out the first four games of the year, the pressure is on for everyone to step up and fill the voids. Injuries are hurting that effort as a good portion of the wide receiver corps sits out. With Reggie Wayne now under contract, head coach Bill Belichick is still not guaranteeing a spot for the veteran.
Wayne sat on the free agent market until injuries finally began to hit. The Patriots signed the veteran to a one-year contract as a portion of their offense deals with minor setbacks. It is unclear exactly what the Patriots' plan is for Wayne. He could simply be a camp body while players like Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola get over injuries or he could turn into a real reliable player on the field. While the Patriots need all of the able bodies they can get entering the season, Belichick is downplaying the idea Wayne will be around Week 1.
"We'll find out. We'll see how it goes," Belichick said, via WEEI. "We've never had him in our system before. I mean I've coached him in the Pro Bowl and all that. We just have to see how it goes. He's had a great career and has done a lot of things for the Colts organization, primarily playing on the left and in more recent years being moved around to playing on the right and also some slot in situations. I think he has a lot of versatility, obviously he has a lot of experience so we'll have to see how it goes."
Wayne could be a real asset for the Patriots. Jimmy Garoppolo is slowly looking like a starting quarterback as he led a nice comeback win over the New Orleans Saints. Belichick told the media he is trying to find a good balance of practice reps for the backup quarterback and Brady. In order for Garoppolo to really succeed, he needs a balanced offense and that is something Wayne creates.
James White and Jonas Gray continue to lead the rushing attack over LeGarrette Blount. With Blount out Week 1, both Gray and White will be critical to the offense and they are proving not to just be one-hit wonders of 2014. Both rushers have had moderate but consistent numbers in the preseason and could be saving their spots on the roster which were brought into question at one point.
