New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas has proven himself to be an immensely productive weapon, no matter the circumstances.
Douglas originally entered the league as an unheralded sixth-round pick, before going on to lead the club in receiving yards as a rookie (561) and receptions as a sophomore (66). It’s pretty remarkable to see what he’s done, especially considering the fact that he’s currently preparing to play for his third offensive coordinator in three seasons.
Is that an issue for the man called, “Pop?”
No, not even a little.
“It’s amazing,” Douglas told reporters on Monday, per team-provided video. “I love this offense. I can’t lie. I’ve seen a lot of slots go crazy in this offense, so as I practice, I see how it opens up. I feel like it’s all going to come together.”
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Douglas has every right to be psyched playing under Josh McDaniels, who has proven himself to be an advocate for the undersized receivers. Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Danny Amendola and Jakobi Meyers all became top options under his tutelage, with the two former names among the all-time best at playing out of the slot.
The Patriots have already relied heavily on the 24-year-old throughout his tenure at One Patriot Place, but that shouldn’t change despite major additions being made at his position — as veteran Stefon Diggs and rookie Kyle Williams will provide something much different to the group.
McDaniels likes leveraging slot receivers, tight ends and running backs in the passing game — relying on those positions to receive a greater collection of targets than most other offenses. Hunter Henry has proven himself capable of playing his role in the offense, while TreVeyon Henderson is viewed as a potential game-changing pass catcher out of the backfield. Douglas will be the short-yardage and red-area option out of the slot.
It’s silly making grand prognostications at the conclusion of minicamp, but history tells us who should become productive pieces to this offense.
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We just wanted to plant the flag early, so that’s exactly what we’re doing. Douglas stock is about to hit a new high, so buy some quick.
