Elementary, My Dear Watson: Why Benjamin Watson's Return Is a No Brainer

Benjamin Watson makes his long awaited return to the grid iron Friday, but you sure wouldn’t know that if most of your Boston sports knowledge comes from the radio dial.  That’s because No. 84 has been largely forgotten, replaced by No. 87.  No, not that No. 87 (Ben Coates). The man is Chris Baker. 

Baker comes from our neighbors to the south, the J-E-T-S (Jets, Jets, Jets!), where he’s spent the entirety of his eight-year career.  He put up some fairly impressive numbers for the white and green, his best year coming in 2007 (15 starts, 41 catches, 409 yards, three touchdowns).  Otherwise, his numbers have been rather mediocre.

Yet after one preseason game, Baker has been all but crowned as Watson’s successor, some questioning whether Watson will even make the 53-man roster come cut day.   

It’s not just the Boston sports media extolling Baker’s virtues, mind you.  According to CBSSports.com’s Rapid Reports, the players and staff love him, too.  Wes Welker sees him as the surprise out of training camp, and the hooded one himself was impressed by his Aug. 13 debut.

And with Baker’s two touchdown catches before halftime, it’s hard to blame him.

What is difficult to fathom, however, is how some are questioning Watson’s ability to make the 53-man roster. 

In the word of Bill Simmons, “Really?”

For starters, you know what you’re getting with Watson—both in numbers and in effort. 

For example, despite starting four fewer games than Baker last year (13 for Baker, nine for Watson), Watson had more yards than Baker, more receptions than Baker, a higher yards per catch average, and more touchdowns (Baker had zero touchdowns in 2008).  And while neither player is known for his defensive prowess, Watson had two more tackles than Baker did last year (Baker, once again, had none).

Watson also brings the kind of effort built straight out of the "Tedy Bruschi School of Full-Tilt, Full Time,” the most notable example coming on a cold Saturday night in mid-January four years ago. 

Down by four and deep in Denver territory, Brady did what he rarely does in the postseason: he threw for an interception.  The interceptor, Broncos CB Champ Bailey, left everyone in the dust, streaking for the end zone and a sure six-spot.  But out of nowhere came a streaking Benjamin Watson, who knocked both Bailey and the ball out of bounds at the 1-yard line.

Sure, the Broncos wound up scoring, and sure the Pats wound up losing (27-13), but that kind of hustle, resilience and speed is seldom seen at tight end. 

Three spots need to be filled.  Four tight ends are fighting for those three positions (Alex Smith and David Thomas are the other two).  Thomas doesn’t have the resume Watson has (he’s caught a grand total of nine balls in his three years with New England), leaving Smith as his primary competition.  And with numbers comparable to Watson in 2008 (21 catches, 250 yards, three touchdowns for Thomas with Tampa Bay; 22 catches, 209 yards and two touchdowns for Watson with New England), Friday’s game could play a major role in who’ll be on the chopping block. 

If for no other reason, that makes the third game of the preseason a must-watch event As must-watch as a preseason game can be, I guess.

As we stand now, though, given Watson’s track record in his six years at the Razor—not to mention Belichick’s history with tenured Patriots (i.e. holding on to guys like Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown, and Kevin Faulk in their later years)—no one should even be hinting at Watson’s ouster.