Every year, just as training camp nears, Patriot fans lose track of reality and decide another wide receiver, preferably one who can stretch the field, is just what the team needs. This year it’s Reggie Wayne. Despite the fact that, at 36, he is a shell of the receiver who was feared throughout the league, the Foxboro faithful have that gleam in their eyes once again. Please, forget it. Close those eyes…stop salivating…slap your face a few times so the hallucination goes away…and, most of all, stop smoking those funny cigarettes.

Don’t get me wrong, in his prime Wayne was one of the best clutch receivers in the NFL. But now he’s just another player trying to get one more paycheck while his body rebels. The Patriots would be crazy to even think about it for a number of reasons.

• He’s old, slow & susceptible to another injury after years of punishment
• He would have to learn the Patriots offensive system, which isn’t easy (check the Pats history with older free agent wide receivers not named Randy Moss)
• The roster spot he would take, if he even made the team, would take time away from the development of younger players who are much faster and in position to actually stretch-the-field

2014 Colts

Reggie Wayne disappeared at crucial times last season. Yes, he ended the regular season with respectable numbers (15 GP/64 Receptions/779 yards but just 2 TDs) for the Indianapolis Colts.  He was, however, a non-entity in the playoffs (3 GP/1 Reception/12 Yards) and was completely shut down by the Bengals and Patriots.

Yes, he did have 5 receptions for 91 yards against the Patriots during the regular season (11/16/14 – known as the Jonas Gray game) when the Colts lost 42-20 in Indy. If you think back to that game he was thought to be dogging it after getting hit while the game was still close. Pats fans were literally mocking him as the game came to an end.

The Patriots do still have a lot of holes to fill, but Reggie Wayne isn’t the answer to anything. He probably will sign with a team in need of senior leadership, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he decided to retire when the contact starts.

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EDITORS NOTE:

With the Patriots injuries piling up it now seems that the signing of Reggie Wayne to the roster has become official. The Pats have signed him to a one year deal, they were kind of over a barrel because with Jordy Nelson being out with an ACL tear, Green bay would have surely signed him today.