Patriot games

In an earlier entry I mentioned the only New England players worth drafting based on their value are Tom Brady and Laurence Maroney. That was before the Patriots acquired former Raiders receiver Doug Gabriel. Go scan your free agent pool for Gabriel right now.

Gabriel has never caught more than 40 passes or three touchdowns in a season, but New England’s depth at wide receiver is thinner than Todd Pinkston, so he’s now a starter.

It looks like Deion Branch is on his way out of New England and he’s going to burn more bridges than Napoleon on his way out so Gabriel could be New England’s No. 1 wide receiver very soon. There are no other potential No. 1 wide receivers who might be available as free agents in your league, so grab him.

Branch has been rumored to go to the Seahawks or the Jets so now might be a good time to unload bubble starters like Nate Burleson, Justin McCareins or Jerricho Cotchery. If you own Darrell Jackson, then you may want to wonder if acquiring Branch is a sign that the Seahawks are concerned about his health.