Pats sign Reggie Wayne: Colts Fans Collectively Vomit

[Corsi]

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter  2m2 minutes ago
Former Colts WR Reggie Wayne arrived in New England last night and is taking a physical with the Patriots today, per league sources.

 

[shawnrbu]

Hopefully, this is nothing more than camp fodder like Torry Holt was in 2010.  Not thrilled about the idea of a soft Colts player joining the team. 

 

[jacklamabe65]

This is BB at his trolling best. 

 

[Soxfan in Fla]

Isn't he complete toast?

 

[RedOctober3829]

Isn't he complete toast?

He was last year.  I've been told he doesn't have much left but who knows.  Maybe he has enough left for one solid year.
 
This also speaks to the lack of depth in the WR position on the Patriots.  Maybe LaFell is worse off than we thought and isn't ready yet.  

 

[Stitch01]

His best case, I think, would be like a late career Deion Branch. The quickness is just gone

 

[RedOctober3829]

The last Belichick favorite WR to come in was Chad Ochocinco.  Let's hope this experience would go a little better than that one did.

 

[ilol@u]

I've loved Reggie Wayne since he replaced Marvin Harrison. Even though I doubt he has much in the tank, he has always been a good route runner with good hands. Can be that 3rd down possession reciever to move the sticks. Hope the Patriots sign him.

 

[Corsi]

Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer  3m3 minutes ago
Albert Breer retweeted Ian Rapoport
Texted a couple evaluators, on what Wayne has left. AFC exec: "Very little." NFC director: "solid year left in him."
 
Albert Breer ‏@AlbertBreer  2m2 minutes ago
AFC exec added on Wayne "loss of speed and explosiveness is evident." But Wayne has told people he's as healthy as he's been in 2 years.

 

[Beomoose]

The last Belichick favorite WR to come in was Chad Ochocinco.  Let's hope this experience would go a little better than that one did.

Gah, why reopen that one? I was really looking forward to Chad and BB being successful together.

 

[vadertime]

Lukewarm on this.  The list of WR that weren't able to learn the Pats offense is a  mile long.  If you're going to bring in a veteran WR with a recent injury history that arguably has only one year left, why not bring back Welker?  At least you know he knows the offense.

 

[Devizier]

Well, at least the Patriots aren't paying lots of money for Andre Johnson branded toast.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

Lukewarm on this.  The list of WR that weren't able to learn the Pats offense is a  mile long.  If you're going to bring in a veteran WR with a recent injury history that arguably has only one year left, why not bring back Welker?  At least you know he knows the offense.

 
I would have bet that not a single person would advocate the return of what's left of Welker this offseason.  Foiled!

 

[dcmissle]

Lukewarm on this.  The list of WR that weren't able to learn the Pats offense is a  mile long.  If you're going to bring in a veteran WR with a recent injury history that arguably has only one year left, why not bring back Welker?  At least you know he knows the offense.

Because you don't want him to die in a Pats uniform or wind up like Jim McMahon.

 

[bibajesus]

No need to worry, let's see what he has. They are doing do diligence. If he is toast they will not sign him or cut him if they do sign him.

 

[vadertime]

 
I would have bet that not a single person would advocate the return of what's left of Welker this offseason.  Foiled!

 
I'm not saying I want him back either, but I'd take him over Wayne only because I know he knows the offense.  Both guys looked like toast last year.  Austin Collie had more of a concussion history than Welker does and they still put him out there.

 

[TheoShmeo]

I realize that Wayne would not be a replacement in any way for Edelman or LaFell but this potential signing gives me some concern about what it might say about their status. Now true, several other WRs are banged up so this can be viewed as a depth move in general, if it happens. Still, Julian and Brandon (never mind Chandler) will be sights for sore eyes when they return.

Wayne looked like toast in the AFC Championship Game. But maybe he will be fresher at the start of this coming season than he was then.

The indigestion this will give Colts fans is a nice bonus.

 

[RG33]

A veteran WR with good hands who is a solid route runner and can pick up the Patriots system with ease is fine. He is just depth. He is not expected to be a top 4 WR at this point. I like them bringing him in -- possession guy and solid depth.

 

[Super Nomario]

Wayne was also hurt last year with a triceps injury that required surgery. He had 636 yards through 11 games but had just 11 for 155 yards in his last 7 games (including 3 playoff games). So maybe a healthy Wayne can be a useful third receiver.
 
Keep in mind, as much as we're talking about guys like Wayne (779 yards) and Welker (494) being toast, that Amendola had 200 receiving yards last year, Gibson 295, Tyms 82, Dobson 38. There's not really a compelling reason to think any of these guys are likely to contribute much in 2015. In fact, Wayne's total would have represented a career high for Amendola.

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

You guys are missing the point. Wayne catching passes will drive stakes through many hearts in Indianapolis. I support anything that irritates those entitled holier then thou ass hats. I don't care if they cut him. I want this to be a year where bill unleashes hate all across the league. This as a spite signing has my full endorsement.

I mean I'm kidding a course. Bill will only do this for football reasons obviously. I just hope he is on the team long enough for that one juicy/token "now I understand why they beat us so much" quote in the media.

 

[bankshot1]

I wonder if Green Bay gives him a call?

 

[Granite Sox]

With Boyce soiling his pants and Tyms injured, I think this comes down to what the Pats need between Wayne or Harper/Gibson.

If they can manipulate the roster a little bit, they could PUP LaFell and release Wayne when LaFell returns.

The management of LaFell, Minitron, and even Dobson seems like post-Super Bowl cautiousness.

He's toast from a speed/separation standpoint, but Wayne allows for a veteran presence while 19, 11, and 17 come along at a measured pace.

Harper can go to the PS with an eye on a developmental arc.

At a minimum, it's a quality troll of the Hoosier crybabies.

 

[jsinger121]

Harper may not make it thru to the practice squad especially with him showing special teams ability in the return game.

 

[Sportsbstn]

I would absolutely take Reggie Wayne for a decent price.  Speed may be gone, but Tom Brady has a way of working with veteran receivers and Wayne has always had solid hands.

 

[kenneycb]

Not really, considering Torry Holt, Joey Galloway and Chad Ochocinco are probably the three most similar players to Wayne (non-Branch division) to play with Brady recently.  The death stare Galloway got from Brady still warms my cockles to this day.

 

[KenTremendous]

I want him to sign with the Pats, play one game, catch a touchdown to defeat the Colts, retire, and enter the Hall of Fame as a Patriot. 

 

[Sportsbstn]

Not really, considering Torry Holt, Joey Galloway and Chad Ochocinco are probably the three most similar players to Wayne (non-Branch division) to play with Brady recently.  The death stare Galloway got from Brady still warms my cockles to this day.

 
Galloway's career crashed the year before he got to NE, Chad incredibly just couldn't understand the playbook and Holt hurt his knee ending his time with the Pats.   I think Wayne would be superior to all....not great, but better.

 

[Harry Hooper]

Well, Austin Collie came over from Indy and seemed to grasp the offense OK.

 

[bankshot1]

I want him to sign with the Pats, play one game, catch a touchdown to defeat the Colts, state that Brady is the greatest quarterback that he's ever played with, that he's learned more about the game of football spending one season with Belichick than he could imagine possible, retire enter the Hall of Fame as a Patriot. 

FTFY

 

[Devizier]

 
Galloway's career crashed the year before he got to NE, Chad incredibly just couldn't understand the playbook and Holt hurt his knee ending his time with the Pats.   I think Wayne would be superior to all....not great, but better.

 
I've always felt that the playbook thing was a red herring to make people feel better about a (predictably) bad signing.
 
Ochocinco had three pretty mediocre seasons before joining the Patriots and was 33 years old. He was let go by a Bengals team that was very thin beyond A.J. Green in his rookie season. He also never played another down in the NFL after his season in New England. 
 
Unfortunately for the Patriots, Reggie Wayne is 37 (!) years old, which is only one year younger than Joey Galloway when he came on board.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

There are certainly receivers like Holt & Galloway who didn't do shit. Holt pretty much quit on his own (mentioned that the system was too much to pick up), and Galloway was, well, Galloway. And we all know how OchoCinco turned out -- he probably ran more wrong plays than any full-time WR I can remember.
 
Then there are players like Austin Collie, who does just enough to warrant a roster spot for a few games.
 
I think the way Wayne can run the routes separates him from the Holt/Galloway/Ocho group. Even if he has lost a full step, he'll be a 4th option going against a slot CB.
 
However, that means the WR picture gets even crowded. I have Dobson (injuries), Boyce (AAAA player on his second legs), and Tyms (injuries) all not making the team. That leaves:
 
Edelman
LaFell
Amendola
Harper
Slater
Wayne???
 
The wildcard could be Cadet, if he can ever get himself on the field. He can line out wide, and could fill a niche that lot of us envisioned when he first signed.
 
Wayne could be gone in just a few days, but the respect BB gives to guys like him means if he is actually signed (and passes the physical), then he may stick around for a while and given a long opportunity.

 

[soxfan121]

Not really, considering Torry Holt, Joey Galloway and Chad Ochocinco are probably the three most similar players to Wayne (non-Branch division) to play with Brady recently.  The death stare Galloway got from Brady still warms my cockles to this day.

 
Holt, Galloway and 85 are not, IMO, similar players to Wayne unless we're just talking about age/career stage. Those three guys all relied, to some extent, on their speed and ability to separate. Wayne has made a career out of being a precise route-runner, making catches in traffic and understanding sight/route adjustments. It's the last factor that's the biggest difference; 85, in particular, couldn't make the sight adjustments demanded of Pats WR because he played in a system that didn't focus on adjusting to what the defense is conceding on a given play. 
 
Wayne is probably washed up and probably won't make the team, but he has a better chance to make an impact with the Patriots than any of those other old guys, simply because he's got the football intelligence to make the same reads as Brady, at the same mental speed.

 

[Corsi]

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/635513349401411589

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

BB's got competition, boys:
 
@jeffphowe I got nothing, but @diannaESPN says the Packers are gonna call him 

 

[bankshot1]

I wonder if Green Bay gives him a call?

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/08/24/packers-plan-on-calling-reggie-wayne-after-he-visits-patriots/

 
According to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN, the Packers are placing a call to Wayne pending the results of Jordy Nelson’s MRI

 

[dynomite]

If the Packers make an offer, I have to imagine Wayne will sign there.  With Nelson gone, Wayne would be a heavy rotational WR in a group that lacks depth outside of Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.

 

[soxfan121]

If the Packers make an offer, I have to imagine Wayne will sign there.  With Nelson gone, Wayne would be a heavy rotational WR in a group that lacks depth outside of Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.

 
True, but Green Bay's system is also more dependent on the types of downfield routes that Wayne cannot execute any longer (per all three opinions above). He's a better fit with NE and the shorter, space oriented passing game that Brady excels at. No doubt GB wouldn't square peg it, but Wayne more than 15 yards down the field requires a sundial, not a stopwatch.

 

[dynomite]

 
True, but Green Bay's system is also more dependent on the types of downfield routes that Wayne cannot execute any longer (per all three opinions above). He's a better fit with NE and the shorter, space oriented passing game that Brady excels at. No doubt GB wouldn't square peg it, but Wayne more than 15 yards down the field requires a sundial, not a stopwatch.

 
That's a good point, and I guess I don't know the Packers system well enough to really respond.  Still, I would think that the Packers would bring Wayne in to be a rotational short-field receiving option, with Cobb and Adams running the downfield routes. 
 
Given the Patriots depth at WR and Wayne's limitations, I'm not certain he would have as many opportunities here.

 

[jsinger121]

Eric Kettani was just cut opening a roster spot.

 

[soxfan121]

 
That's a good point, and I guess I don't know the Packers system well enough to really respond.  Still, I would think that the Packers would bring Wayne in to be a rotational short-field receiving option, with Cobb and Adams running the downfield routes. 
 
Given the Patriots depth at WR and Wayne's limitations, I'm not certain he would have as many opportunities here.

 
No, you're correct; Wayne could fit in GB and they have a clearer need. They may also offer more money, which will probably decide things - especially if Wayne thinks he's cooked.

 

[Corsi]

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter  1m1 minute ago
Reggie Wayne and New England Patriots have reached agreement on a one-year deal, league source told ESPN.

 

[RedOctober3829]

If he does just one thing this year, please catch the FU TD in Week 6.

 

[GBrushTWood]

Hopefully, Wayne was signed to take the place of Dobson or Tyms. I really hope LaFell and Edelman are ready to go by week 1.

 

[CoolPapaLaSchelle]

Hope he hangs around the team long enough to collect his AFC Conference Finalist ring week six.

 

[Saints Rest]

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned the possibility of hindsight espionage.  Not the type which is often alluded to wherein a player is signed to help a team know what an upcoming opponent might do int he future.  Here I am suggesting that perhaps Wayne might offer some insight on what was being discussed in the Colts locker room leading up to, during, and after the infamous DG game.

 

[soxfan121]

I'm a little surprised that no one has mentioned the possibility of hindsight espionage.  Not the type which is often alluded to wherein a player is signed to help a team know what an upcoming opponent might do int he future.  Here I am suggesting that perhaps Wayne might offer some insight on what was being discussed in the Colts locker room leading up to, during, and after the infamous DG game.

 
Take this speculation to the DFG thread, please.
 
If you'd like to speculate about the far more likely chance that Belichick sits down and drains every bit of playbook information Wayne has stored, go nuts.

 

[smokin joe wood]

As a Pats fan that lives in Indy, this is delicious.

 

[Captaincoop]

Clearly BB needs some help to unravel the secrets of that particular playbook.

More likely, he thinks there might actually be some decent football left in Wayne, at least enough to help with the current WR shortage in Foxboro.

 

[Three10toLeft]

 
Take this speculation to the DFG thread, please.
 
If you'd like to speculate about the far more likely chance that Belichick sits down and drains every bit of playbook information Wayne has stored, go nuts.

 
I mean... I don't think BB and company have had any trouble figuring out how to stop Indy.
 
And, really, what allegiance would Reggie have to the Pats to empty out what's in his mental vault WRT Indy's offensive scheme? I'm sure he'd like to beat the Colts, and have a successful season, but he's in the last glimmer of the twilight of his career.

 

[ipol]

Timing of the news reports suggest Wayne was signed before he had a chance to get to Green Bay. Could the signing have preemptively thwarted a rival? Or does Occam apply and he was signed because the Pats need him?