Watson Released; Pats' Fans Needlessly Up in Arms

The tight end position has been the focus of the New England Patriots' offense for so long that fans expect a certain level of performance out of that position - so it's no wonder that these same fans are mourning the loss of Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen and loathe the fact that the position has lost it's luster in the offensive game plan.

They pine for what those two brought to the offense over the past several years and are quick to criticize Bill Belichick for not properly addressing the position in the wake of their losses - so it's no secret why these fans are up in arms over the release of veteran tight end Benjamin Watson on Monday afternoon.

Watson came off of a four-game suspension last week and the team had until Monday at 4:00pm to activate him to the 53-man roster, but as the deadline approached, Watson had already cleared out his locker and expressed his disappointment via Twitter. Watson's popularity with fans is due partially to name recognition, but mostly due to desperation among the fans who think the position is in need of an overhaul.

When asked about the release of Watson, Belichick simply stated that he didn't have a roster spot available for him - which is true, as they would have to release another player to make room for him. Regardless, it's not sitting well with fans and the media, but they should have seen this coming.

In Sunday's throttling of the Washington Redskins, Belichick purposely displayed the potential of his young tight ends and determined that Watson wasn't a big enough upgrade over what he already has on the roster. Some of that probably has to do with the fact that Watson is nearing forty years of age, but it's mostly because Belichick has already accepted the fact that the position could no longer be the focus of his offense and has morphed it into a different entity - and has methodically been preparing for that eventuality over the past few seasons.

Talking heads have been bemoaning Belichick's supposed lack of foresight in the matter, but the truth is that Belichick saw that Gronkowski's career was on the downswing due to injury and that someone was eventually going to overpay for Allen's services in free agency - and since there is no replacing Gronkowski's beastly presence anyway, he simply shifted his focus away from the position.

Youngsters Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse are raw, but have expanded their skill set under Belichick's tutelage. Izzo, in particular, has flashed playmaking ability and a desire for run blocking - he's not there yet, but Belichick sees the potential in him and determined that he wanted Izzo's potential over Watson's. Same with LaCosse, who put up some numbers in Denver last season.

So in addition to Izzo and LaCosse, the Patriots have Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Phillip Dorsett and Jacoby Meyers at receiver, and Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead, James White, Brandon Bolden, Damien Harris and Jakob Johnson at running back. The four receivers are standard brand for the roster count, but the Patriots employ more running backs than any other team in the league - and that's for a reason.

Belichick has always said that the passing game is an extension of his running game, and given that the backfield population handles the ball on seven of every ten snaps - not to mention their excellence in the pattern - the running backs bring everything the team needs to be successful on offense.

Especially since offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has finally started calling Michel's number in the passing game, even splitting him out wide against the Redskins.

That is a staple of the Patriots' offense. White is one of the best receivers in the NFL regardless of position and he is regularly split wide or in the slot. Burkhead sees the slot at times and we saw last week that Bolden can play on the perimeter, catching a 30-yard scoring strike from Brady.

Hell, if McDaniels really wanted to, he could populate the offense in a five-wide formation with young veteran running backs and still keep a back in to block or take a handoff on the draw. That is unrealistic, given the talent at receiver, but whenever you see that five-wide stretch, there is invariably a back or two among the five.

Many are speculating that Watson was released to free up his cap dollars, which total around $2 million, in order to trade for a receiver. That may be, but then again, it may not. It is entirely possible that Belichick is saving up his cap dollars in order to have some flexibility when rookie pass catcher N'Keal Harry and left tackle are ready to come off  IR in a few weeks, which will give them yet another receiver and protection for quarterback Tom Brady's blind side.

Bottom line, the media and the fans are desperate, not Belichick. Media and the fans are reading between the lines when Brady speaks, and take his words as meaning that he's frustrated with a lack of options in the passing games. Maybe they will trade for a receiver before the trade deadline, but even if they do, it would just be gravy for their mashed potatoes.

That said, the Patriots are fine.