The New England Patriots and wide receiver Torry Holt have reached an injury settlement that will avoid placing him on injured reserve. The settlement will allow Holt -- who was reportedly scheduled for knee surgery this week -- to become a free agent and sign with any team he wishes this season. That is, if he is able to return to full health.
It is possible that this injury settlement confirmed my earlier suspicions that Holt simply wasn't good enough to make the Pats' receiving core this season. Now, I'm sure a knee injury wasn't just completely fabricated -- it seems rather pointless, since the Patriots could just cut Holt if they didn't want him. But it does seem like they don't feel his services can help the team in the future. Like I said, the Pats have a deep receiving core that has the potential to blossom. On the flip side, it has the potential to fall flat on its face, given that only two of its receivers are truly proven threats. But Julian Edelman and Brandon Tate have some exciting expectations, and rookie Taylor Price could contribute as well. With Sam Aiken still as a bench guy, Holt really just seems like he would have been another part of our depth -- no more of a guarantee than any of those other guys. Think about what we thought we were getting with veteran Joey Galloway. That didn't work out so well, did it?
Like it or not, the Pats are moving on without the services of one of the all-time greats at wide receiver. Fortunately, we don't have to wait all that long to find out what kind of production these other receivers can bring to the table. New England's opening game is just 24 days away, and they kickoff their second preseason game tonight under the Georgia sky against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Leave your comments