McDaniels Raids the Patriots

Former Patriots offensive coordinator and current Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels appears to be going with what he knows best.

First, he convinced the Broncos to splurge for long snapper Lonie Paxton. Paxton, who has spent his entire nine-year NFL career with the Patriots, signed with Denver earlier this morning. Some have argued that Paxton is the best long snapper in the league, as it was his crisp, effective snaps that helped set up Adam Vinatieri's numerous clutch kicks during the Patriots run of Super Bowl championships earlier in the decade.

Next, McDaniels, who has been the offensive coordinator since Eric Mangini flew south to coach the New York Jets in 2006, acquired Jabar Gaffney, a Patriot since '06. Gaffney has made a name for himself in New England as a slot receiver. Last season, he finished with 44 receptions for 468 yards and two touchdowns. He had a sterling playoff run in 2006, with eighteen catches and over 200 yards receiving in the Wild Card Round against the Jets and Divisional Playoff versus the San Diego Chargers.

The loss of Gaffney, combined with the recent release of Kelley Washington, now opens up the need for reliable third or fourth receiving options. The Patriots already have the best 1-2 receiving option in the league, with Randy Moss as the deep threat and Wes Welker as the catch-and-run option. However, they now sorely lack an experienced weapon aside from Moss and Welker. The Pats only have two receivers on their roster aside from Moss and Welker, and those two targets are Sam Aiken and Matthew Slater, who combined for eight catches in 2008.

With the need for receivers now near the top of the Patriots' off-season list, could we be not too far away from seeing Laveraneus Coles, Bobby Engram, or even Marvin Harrison wearing Patriots uniforms in 2009? Also, don't rule out the Draft, as the Patriots hold the 23rd pick. They very well could look to select Florida's Percy Harvin or Maryland's Derrius Heyward-Bey, whose amazing Combine numbers have him vaulting up Mock Draft boards nationwide.