Now that we know Julian Edelman tore the ACL in his right knee Friday against the Lions and is out for the season, what's next for the Patriots offense?
Edelman was Tom Brady's favorite target (181 passes went Edelman's way in 2016, including playoffs), and he was critical to their execution in key situations. Third down, two-minute offense, red zone . . . Edelman was on the field for all of them and factored heavily into Josh McDaniels' plan.
MORE ON EDELMAN
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Without him, the Patriots are still loaded with offensive weapons, but Edelman's clutch production, his competitiveness, his chemistry with Brady and his institutional knowledge of the system are irreplaceable.
Still, Bill Belichick and his staff will have to move on and move on quickly with the season-opener less than two weeks away. Here are some of the ways in which the Patriots could cope.
HOGAN MOVES UP TO NO. 2
Chris Hogan is the most obvious candidate to see an uptick in playing time with Edelman out. He was in line to be the third man up on the receiver depth chart behind Edelman and Brandin Cooks, meaning that he likely would have come off the field for any two-receiver sets. Hogan is not the same type of receiver as Edelman, obviously, but when he arrived to New England he was touted for his ability to play inside, outside and block. Hogan's short-area quickness isn't at the same level as Edelman's, though he is quick for his size and showed in the first quarter of Friday's game that he can run the short, change-of-direction routes that Edelman perfected. His seven-yard score that came soon after Edelman's injury was on a pivot route from the slot that likely would have been run by Edelman. Belichick said last week that Hogan is well beyond where he was last year in terms of his understanding of the offense, and Hogan's toughness as a blocker (and in the kicking game) has made him a favorite of the coaching staff since early on in his New England tenure. Hogan is taller than Edelman and more of a deep threat so he and Cooks could serve as relatively interchangeable pieces depending on situations and matchups. Cooks is a vertical field-stretcher, not a true slot receiver, but he can line up inside to give opposing defenses a different look. He has aligned in various spots in Patriots formations this summer, and as a member of the Saints he played outside, inside, and occasionally out of the backfield.
AMENDOLA: BREAK GLASS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
The Patriots have done well to manage Danny Amendola, their top true slot receiver behind Edelman, over the course of the last few seasons. His numbers have not been prolific -- in each of the team's last two Super Bowl-winning regular seasons he had 27 and 23 catches, respectively -- but he was there for Brady in crunch time. In those two Super Bowl wins he combined for 13 catches for 126 yards, two touchdowns and a two-point conversion. In New England's 11 personnel package -- one back, one tight end, three receivers -- Amendola would likely be the third man in. Football Outsiders crunched the numbers from 2016 and deemed the Patriots the most efficient 11 personnel team in the league last season so it figures to be a package they stick with. Malcolm Mitchell could be the No. 3 wideout, but as he deals with a knee injury that has limited him for much of the summer, right now Amendola looks like the guy. Keeping him healthy now that Edelman isn't will be paramount.
12 PERSONNEL . . . 21 PERSONNEL . . . 22 PERSONNEL
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The Patriots thrived last season with one tight end and one back on the field, but for much of the season it didn't make sense for them to try to run out any more than that at either position. When Rob Gronkowski suffered his season-ending back injury, the Patriots had one starting-caliber tight end: Martellus Bennett. In terms of their backs, they could deploy their "pony" two-back set with James White and Dion Lewis, but Lewis was working his way back from injury for much of the season and so the formation was used sparingly. This season could be different. If Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen can stay healthy, the Patriots can get back to some of the two-tight-end formations that they made popular and others around the league have tried to duplicate. They can also break out the pony sets more frequently now that it looks like Lewis will be a full-go to start the season. The addition of Rex Burkhead gives the Patriots even more variety in terms of the two-back sets they could construct. Imagine a package with Allen tight to the formation, Gronkowski in the slot, Cooks outside and Burkhead and Lewis to either side of Brady in the shotgun? They could motion Gronkowski in and use him as a blocker for either Burkhead or Lewis if defenses try to defend with sub personnel. The Patriots could also flex either Lewis or Burkhead -- or both -- out as receivers and play the matchups. Someone in that scenario is going to be aligned opposite a linebacker, making it easy on Brady to find his favorite matchup and exploit it. Burkhead spent some time as a slot receiver in Cincinnati and so it's conceivable that he finds his way onto the field in that role as well. You almost never hear of 31 personnel -- three backs, one tight end, one receiver -- in today's NFL, but who knows? Lewis and White in the backfield with Burkhead in the slot? Maybe the Patriots will test it out this season as they get by without Edelman.
BOLSTERING THEIR NUMBERS AT RECEIVER
Edelman's injury comes at a time when the Patriots are already hurting at that position. Matthew Slater has missed weeks of practice with an injury, and Mitchell's tweaked knee has sidelined him since playing the Texans. Edelman's roster spot could create an opening for a player on the bubble at another position. Or a young pass-catcher could find himself on the 53-man roster when before Friday he seemed ticketed for an eventual release and a potential practice-squad spot. Undrafted rookie receiver Austin Carr has impressed at times this preseason with his ability to make contested catches and could be deemed worth a roster spot. The same could be said for Devin Lucien, who is more of a down-the-field option but has been plagued at times by drops. Both young wideouts carry promise and might have been perfect fits for the practice squad, but with Edelman now out, they could potentially receive an early promotion to provide some depth.