Addition of Brian Tyms Gives Patriots Options Outside

Brian Tyms captivated the imagination of New England Patriots fans during the preseason, making circus catches down the field and awakening images of Randy Moss running wild in the defensive secondary.

A four-game suspension for using a banned substance prompted fans to turn their attention elsewhere, but Tyms' planned re-emergence should rekindle that old feeling. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the roster move.  

#Patriots WR Brian Tyms, who was also serving a suspension, will be activated, I’m told. Two spots need to be cleared

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2014

Changing places—from the suspended list to the 53-man roster in this case—shouldn't be a shocking development for Tyms, who has been a bit of a traveler during his short career. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe had the story:

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Tyms’s road to New England has been long and winding, to say the least. He is trying to find a permanent NFL home after bouncing around among four teams over the last two-plus years, but that’s nothing compared with the nomadic life he lived as a child.

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Now that he has landed on the Patriots roster, Tyms could be the one making others move around. Kenbrell Thompkins is already gone. Aaron Dobson and Brandon LaFell are safely employed, but their spots outside are up for grabs. Each has shown flashes of brilliance and maddening inconsistency during their short times with Tom Brady throwing them the ball.

Tyms' 6'3", 204-pound frame along with his 4.4 speed gives offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels another chess piece to move around the board. New England has largely played without a true "X" receiver, opting to use LaFell, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola in their three receiver sets. Dobson has been used sparingly, seeing just 41 snaps through five games, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Doug Kyed of NESN.com related some information that sheds some light on what the NFL thinks of Tyms. 

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Tyms was described by an NFL scout as a “build-up speed guy” who can replace Dobson’s size and speed. Tyms’ speed works best on deep passes —an area where Brady has struggled mightily this season. The Patriots have lacked a receiver who can stretch the field.

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Instead of replacing Dobson's size, Tyms could also complement it. With two big targets blazing down the field, defenses would be hard-pressed to defend the seam passes to Rob Gronkowski and Tim Wright, and still cover Edelman underneath.

Having two young "X" receivers in the fold is just good math. It essentially doubles the chances of developing—finally—a receiver to take the mantle from Moss and stretch the field.

As excited as many fans may be, don't expect Tyms to produce—or even play—in Week 6. He has been away from the team for the past four weeks and had very limited reps with Brady during training camp, spending the majority of the time with Ryan Mallett and Jimmy Garoppolo.

Look for Tyms to hit his stride when the Patriots hit a three-game homestand in Weeks 7-9 against the New York Jets, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos.