If it seems like the New England Patriots' wide receiver room is in constant flux, well, it is.
The team agreed to a deal with veteran Eric Decker on Thursday, according to multiple reports, one day after Jordan Matthews was released.
A dangerous red zone threat for much of his career — Decker has scored double-digit TDs in three of his eight NFL seasons — his production has dipped the past two years. A shoulder injury limited Decker to three games with the Jets in 2016, and he finished with 54 grabs for 563 yards and one score last year as a part-time starter for the Titans. But from 2012-15, he averaged more than 80 receptions, 1,000 yards and 10 TDs.
He was a third-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2010, when current New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was Denver's head coach.
Now Decker will have to scrap for a roster spot among fellow vets Cordarrelle Patterson, Kenny Britt and Phillip Dorsett. Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman seem like locks to make New England's 53-man roster, though Edelman will miss the first month of the season for violating the league's policy on PEDs. Malcolm Mitchell and rookie Braxton Berrios are among other young wideouts vying for Bill Belichick's attention.
Since departed Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola, along with Hogan, anchored the position for New England in 2017, when Edelman was sidelined with a knee injury suffered in preseason.
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