Tom Brady. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards last year with 4,577, but his top-producing receivers--Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola--are gone. Plus, Julian Edelman's suspended the first four games.
The Patriots will open with the Texans Sunday in Foxborough, and Adam Kaufman asked Boston Globe NFL writer Ben Volin if a group led by Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, and Cordarrelle Patterson will be enough.
"They are thin at wide receiver, especially they're asking a lot out of Phillip Dorsett right now, a guy who really hasn't proven himself," he said. "I think they're expecting him to be the new Brandin Cooks in the offense this year. They have Gronkowski, James White. Rex Burkhead I think is going to be a really underrated piece of the passing game. If he can stay healthy, that's the key--because he was banged up all throughout last season, and didn't play as much as you'd like to see him on the field. He's not only a running back, he's basically a slot receiver out there, so he's gonna be an important piece to replace Edelman."
Red Zone Report: Ben Volin's Bold Predictions For The Patriots
"If they go 2-2 their first two games, then, so be it, until they get Edelman back," Volin added. "They're not gonna make a panic move. They're just gonna try to get by with as much as they can until Edelman comes back, and then that'll be a nice reinforcement."
Brady told Westwood One last night he's confident.
"We're gonna try to figure out how to throw to someone, I'll tell you that," The QB said. "There's always transition in the NFL. From week to week, you lose players. Going into the first week, we got three guys and Matt Slater on the roster, so it's four receivers. We got a lot of guys that I trust, a lot of guys that I love playing with."
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports