AP File
Jabar Gaffney isn’t Randy Moss or Wes Welker. He’s not flashy. He doesn’t blow by defenders. But he’s a solid compliment to the Patriots’ two superstar wide receivers.
And he played an important role for the 2008 New England Patriots.
The Patriots basically run their offense out of a three wide receiver set. So while the third wide receiver may not be important on some teams, he is important to the Patriots.
The Patriots’ offense is pretty complex. There’s a lot of option routes, where the receiver needs to read the coverage and react accordingly. If they make the wrong read and don't react the way quarterback Tom Brady expects, bad things happen.
Other wide receivers have had trouble picking up the system in the past. So there is definitely risk involved in letting Gaffney sign elsewhere.
Gaffney came to the Patriots during the 2006 season. In the post season, when it became apparent that Reche Caldwell was Reche Caldwell, Gaffney took over as Brady’s number one target.
In 2007, the Patriots looked to upgrade their wide receivers. They brought in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth. Caldwell was cut and Gaffney became the forgotten man.
But by mid-season, Gaffney had unseated Stallworth as the number three receiver. He became a key part of a record breaking offense, while Stallworth faded away. After the 2007 season, the Patriots declined to pick up Stallworth's option, instead bringing back Gaffney on a one-year contract.
Gaffney took some heat last season for dropping a few passes, most notably a sure touchdown pass against the Colts that, combined with other events, ended up costing the Patriots the game.
But you’re not going to find many better #3 wide receivers in the NFL.
Gaffney has indicated that he would like to return to the Patriots.
He’s been mentioned as a possible target of former Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in Denver. McDaniels would undoubtedly like to bring in someone who is familiar with his offense.
Outside of that, his best opportunity is probably back in New England. Which is where I think he'll end up.
Jabar Gaffney’s 2008 Stats:
Catches: 38 Yards: 468
Average: 12.3 Touchdowns: 2
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Sean Crowe is the New England Patriots Examiner and a Senior Writer / NFL Community Leader at Bleacher Report. You can email him at scrowe@gmail.com.You can check out his Bleacher Report archives here.
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Comments
I hope the Pats keep Gaffney. He'll be worth the price.
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