You know the drill by now. It's June, there's some positive press for a player, and people start to think about him being a breakout star. Only when the games count, that player is nowhere to be found. But things might be a little different with Chris Hogan.
New England signed Hogan as a restricted free agent, giving him a three-year, $12 million contract. That's kind of a lot of money for a guy you don't view as having a significant role in the offense. And the other candidates for his outside receiver job, Aaron Dobson and Keshawn Martin, have never done anything to merit much interest.
Hogan would figure to be behind several other players for targets: Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Martellus Bennett. But there are questions with those wide receivers. Amendola is coming off knee and ankle surgery and recently agreed to a significant pay cut just to keep his roster spot. The Boston Herald last month said he could be iffy for the start of the season.
Edelman, meanwhile, is coming off foot surgery. He's expected to be ready for training camp, and probably will be. But wide receivers and foot surgeries are never a great mix.
Regardless, those injuries have given Hogan plenty of time working with the New England's top quarterbacks. Between the depth chart and the financial commitment, Hogan seems likely to be a noteworthy part of New England's plan.
No one is suggesting you build your draft around Hogan, but don't forget him. When you're throwing late-round picks at players with a chance to emerge as quality receivers in top passing games, he should be on the list of candidates.
--Andy Richardson