Catching on

Coming into the offseason, wide receiver was clearly an area of need. Not anymore.

Bill Belichick and the Pats' front office just built one of the deepest receiver corps in the league. How you liking that, Rex?

The Pats started the day by signing former Indy receiver Anthony Gonzalez. I've been a fan of the Ohio State grad since the Colts made him their first-round pick in '07. He's six feet and 193 pounds. He knows how to run routes (unlike Ocho). He's got great hands. He had a good rookie season and and even better sophomore year (57 catches, 4 TDs) before a knee injury took away most of his '09 and '10 seasons. He didn't fare too well last year without Peyton Manning and the Colts set him free. Gonzalez is 27 with lots of upside. And he's a model citizen.

You can't say that about the other receiver the Pats signed today. Brandon Lloyd. Another six footer. He and Gonzalez are no Megatron, but they bring a little more size to the passing game. And with Lloyd, a good deal of attitude. I want the Pats to have more attitude. Especially if they should find themselves facing little Manning and the Giants again in the Super Bowl. Lloyd has attitude. It's often on display in the video above. Lloyd is 30. That's the prime for a wideout. He spent his first two years catching a lot of passes for the Niners before getting traded to Washington. He immediately got on Joe Gibbs's bad side (he wasn't the only one) and he was soon on his way out and on to Chicago. He lasted a year there before reviving his career in Denver with head coach Josh McDaniels. In 2010 he had nearly 1,500 yards catching with 11 touchdowns. Lloyd said he couldn't wait to be reunited with McDaniels, now back at his old post as Pats' offensive coordinator where he belongs. Now they are back together. Time will tell if it works as well as the first time. But with Brady, Belichick, Welker, and McDaniels around him, I have a hunch Lloyd is going to thrive. Moss-like.

Lloyd signed for $12m over three years. Gonzalez will get much less than that. The Chargers signed Robert Meachem for more than the two combined. Robert Meachem. He's decent, but doesn't even get drafted in my family's fantasy league each summer. We draft about forty wide receivers. Forty. And no Meachem. The Chargers gave him $25 million. The Pats got Lloyd for half that. One team knows how to spend its cap money, one team doesn't. Hopefully the plan is to use some of that money saved and get Welker signed for three or four more years. 

Tom Brady and Gisele have to be feeling pretty good today. You think Brady had weapons last year? Here's the group of guys that #12 will be throwing to in 2012 if all goes as planned...

Wes Welker

Brandon Lloyd

Anthony Gonzalez

Deion Branch

Rob Gronkowski

Aaron Hernandez

Can you say six wide? Can you say so-long Chad? 

The Pats are all set at the receiver position. Now they can use those two first-rounders and two second-rounders on defense, defense, defense, and defense.