New England Patriots have finally added depth to their short-handed receiving core, but they didn’t bring in Dez Bryant as everyone presumed. Instead, the Pats opted for the first-round pick from 2016 Corey Coleman, and former Denver Broncos’ member Bennie Fowler.
Patriots entered the regular 2018 season with lots of question marks surrounding their receiving core, especially since they lost Danny Amendola in the free agency and will be without Julian Edelman, who is dealing with four-game suspension. During the training camp, the team experimented with lots of options including Kenny Britt, Jordan Matthews, Malcolm Mitchell, and Eric Decker, but neither of these players made to the final roster. Pats also tried their luck with former New York Jets WR Chad Hansen, but the 23-year-old was released a week after being claimed off waivers by New England.
In shortage of better solutions, New England Patriots will now gamble on Corey Coleman and Bennie Fowler.
Corey Coleman was selected by Cleveland Browns as a 15th overall pick in 2016, but he never managed to justify that move. He played 19 games during two years in Cleveland and had 718 yards and five touchdowns. Coleman was then traded to the Buffalo Bills earlier this summer, but couldn’t make the final roster.
Bennie Fowler, on the other side, entered the league as an undrafted free agent, signing a deal to become a part of Denver Broncos’ practice squad in 2014. He made the first team in 2015 and ended up winning the Super Bowl with the Broncos in the same year. From 2015 to 2017, Fowler had 56 receptions for 698 yards and five touchdowns. He signed with the Chicago Bears in April 2018 but didn’t make the final roster.
