Why Aaron Dobson Has Everything to Prove in New England Patriots Training Camp

New England Patriots wide receiver Aaron Dobson could do nothing but hobble off the field, holding his hamstring after running a go route against the Green Bay Packers. He missed most of training camp while recovering from foot surgery and spent most of the season as a healthy inactive while catching up. The hamstring injury sealed his fate.

He was placed on injured reserve that same week, and we didn't see or hear from him again for the rest of the season.

Now, entering his third NFL season, Dobson is facing make-or-break circumstances. The Patriots did not wait on Dobson, not even for a minute, as they signed free-agent wide receiver Brandon LaFell to a three-year contract last year. LaFell, who is similar to Dobson in stature and skill set, immediately surpassed the young wide receiver on the depth chart.

It was LaFell, not Dobson, who was the linchpin for the Patriots offense as a boundary receiver in 2014.

Player	Year	Round	Yrs. w/NE	Catches
Deion Branch	2002	2	6.5	328
David Givens	2002	7	4	158
Bethel Johnson	2003	2	3	30
P.K. Sam	2004	5	1	0
Chad Jackson	2006	2	2	13
Brandon Tate	2009	3	2	48
Julian Edelman	2009	7	6	266
Taylor Price	2010	3	2	3
Jeremy Ebert	2012	7	1	0
Aaron Dobson	2013	2	2	40
Josh Boyce	2013	4	2	0
Jeremy Gallon	2014	7	0	0

Dobson's struggles are nothing new to the Patriots. For a decade and a half, the Patriots have struggled to develop young talent at the wide receiver position. 

Sure, Dobson had a few moments in the sun as a rookie. He caught 22 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns in a five-game stretch midway through the 2013 season. But now, Dobson must prove that those moments in the sun can become a bright spot in the Patriots offense; that those moments can be more than just moments, but that he has the propensity to produce those moments on a consistent basis. 

He must prove it all while proving that he can do what he couldn't do last year: stay healthy.

"I'm not even really trying to look back to last year," Dobson said this spring. "It's a new year, so I'm trying to do what I can to help the team this year."

After the disappointment of Dobson's second year, it's easy to forget that he had one of the finest rookie seasons of any receiver that's been paired with Tom Brady—which is no small feat, given the complexity of the Patriots offense. He finished that season with 37 catches for 519 yards and four touchdowns, comparable to the rookie seasons of Deion Branch (43 catches, 489 yards, two touchdowns) and Julian Edelman (37 catches, 359 yards and one touchdown).

Branch was quick to follow up on his successful rookie season with a strong sophomore campaign and finished his Patriots career with 328 receptions. Edelman, on the other hand, took a few years before finally finding his footing—and his rise as a receiver only took place when Wes Welker was out of the way atop the depth chart.

Similarly, Dobson isn't alone on the Patriots roster among receivers who are out to prove themselves. He must prove himself against young up-and-comers Brian Tyms and Josh Boyce, and veteran Brandon Gibson, who are all hungry for their own opportunities. Currently, Dobson projects to be the fourth receiver on the depth chart behind LaFell, Edelman and Danny Amendola. He'll only finish fourth on the depth chart if he can beat out Tyms, Boyce and Gibson.

LaFell was absent at organized team activities this spring while dealing with an injury of his own, which opened the door for both Dobson and Tyms to get some opportunities as boundary threats. Dobson maximized those opportunities by pulling in a few spectacular catches as well as some deep passes.

That's not going to be enough to keep him on the roster. Dobson has to continue to make strides this summer. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has shown no mercy in moving on from young draft picks who have failed to show improvement. Look no further than Bethel Johnson, Chad Jackson, Taylor Price and Brandon Tate for examples of wide receivers who were already out of the Patriots picture by the age of 25.

In theory, Dobson has the upper hand in his battle with Tyms, Boyce and Gibson due to his youth, upside and experience in the Patriots system. Football teams don't win games on theories, though, and Dobson won't win his battle with the other Patriots receivers on theories, either.

It's up to Dobson to prove that his potential can be realized in game situations. The only way he'll ever get there is to prove that he's the best of the Patriots' backup options in 2015.

Unless otherwise noted, practice observations and quotes obtained firsthand.