David Kenyon
Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola are expected to return for the playoffs, but Tom Brady wants the New England Patriots pass-catchers to be smarter about taking hits.
According to Tom Curran of Comcast SportsNet New England, Brady said he’s told teammates to consider the risk over the reward of picking up a few extra yards.
“I’ve talked a lot of times to our receivers, especially when you’re a 185-pound receiver as opposed to a 220-pound receiver, you’re a smaller running back, you just don’t need to take unnecessary hits because you’re really putting yourself in a position where you’re not available to your team anymore. And that’s obviously not helping the team win.”
Edelman is listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, while Amendola is 5-foot-11 and weighs 190. The Nos. 1 and 2 receivers are sidelined due to foot and knee injuries, respectively.
Throw in 5-foot-11, 194-pound wideout Keshawn Martin, 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back James White and 5-foot-11, 175-pound receiver Chris Harper, and the Patriots have one of the smallest pass-catching units in the league.
Brandon LaFell (6-foot-3, 210) is the lone exception on the outside. Top target Rob Gronkowski is the key outlier, though the 6-foot-6, 265-pound monster tight end has also battled through injuries. Granted, his knee issue was a product of being too massive to get tackled with ideal form.
What’s important to note, however, is Brady isn’t asking his receivers to never power through contact. When the situation — like an important fourth down — calls for it, go make a play. But a first-down snap in the middle of the second quarter? Brady suggests to be smart.
Considering the Patriots’ struggles without Edelman and Amendola against the New York Jets in Week 16, that’s a reasonable request. New England won’t have much of a chance in the playoffs without key receivers.
