Patriots bring in wide receiver with local ties to fill open roster spot
The Patriots are filling one of their open roster spots with a wide receiver – whose favorite team is the Patriots.
Ed Lee (Connor Caldon/URI Athletics)
Connor Caldon/URI AthleticsThe New England Patriots quickly filled one of their open roster spots to start the week, and they're filling it with a wide receiver - whose favorite team is ... the Patriots.
Former University of Rhode Island receiver Ed Lee is signing with the Pats, as reported by ESPN's Mike Reiss on Monday. Lee is coming off five years at Rhode Island, most recently catching 56 passes for 908 yards and five touchdowns as a redshirt senior.
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Lee stands at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, and enters the Patriots' wide receiver room as depth and competition as a slot guy behind JuJu Smith-Schuster and fellow rookie Demario Douglas. Lee also has experience as a punt returner, handling 14 returns in 11 games in his final year at URI.
Though he wasn't invited to the NFL Combine, Lee worked out for scouts as a guest at Bryant's Pro Day in March. His 4.53 40-yard dash would've ranked him middle-of-the-pack at the Combine, but his reported three-cone time of 6.84 would've been second-best behind only Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Lee's short-area quickness could give him a chance to develop as a tight-route runner in the slot. But realistically, he's a long way to go from getting any kind of meaningful snaps in New England, even on a Patriots receiver depth chart that has faced questions about its top-end talent level.
Tyquan Thornton could change that conversation, if he takes a big step forward in his sophomore season. Douglas was also getting a good share of touches in team drills, albeit with the second team. Fellow rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte was limited in the Pats' first open practice.
Either way, this is a dream come true for Lee, who has been a Patriots fan since he was eight years old.
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The Patriots also remain involved in rumors around free-agent wideout DeAndre Hopkins. No matter what happens, it feels like the real story of this Patriots receiver corps is far from being written.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt's content here.
