Getty Dorsett was the 29th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
In one of several trades in the NFL on Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts dealt Phillip Dorsett to the New England Patriots in exchange for Jacoby Brissett. Both teams gain a need caused by injury, as the state of Andrew Luck’s shoulder continues to linger over the Colts’ season.
It’s a solid move to acquire Brissett, but the Patriots could have scored a gem in Dorsett. He’s big-play receiver that hasn’t yet reached his full potential, and a guy with straight-line speed that can break a defense. He averaged over 35 yards per catch on 33 catches last season, including four over 50 yards.
Welcome to the Pats @Dorsett_4 👀
The biggest hurdle with Dorsett will be adjusting to the Patriots playbook. He wouldn’t be the first former Colt to struggle with Bill Belichick’s complex schemes. Dwayne Allen is also an Indy transplant, and admitted earlier this summer that the new playbook was difficult. Dorsett has the speed to keep things simple, but he’ll need to adjust on the fly with the season approaching.
Brady now has :
4.28 Phillip Dorsett
4.31 Brandin Cooks
4.50 Chris Hogan
All 3 are faster than Julian Edelman
With Julian Edelman out for the season, there are targets up for grabs. Edelman has been targeted over 130 times in three of the previous four seasons, and Tom Brady isn’t throwing any less this season. Dorsett may not grab those targets on Thursday, but he’s certainly worth keeping your eye on.
If it’s a 14-team league or more, I might use a late round draft pick on him. The situation is already murky with Edelman out, and it’ll take a few weeks to shake out the hierarchy in the depth chart. That being said, the Patriots acquire players for a reason, and they’ll find ways to get Dorsett downfield eventually.