Eric Decker

With Julian Edelman (suspension) set to be unavailable for the first four games of the season and Jordan Matthews (hamstring) having landed on IR, there's an opportunity for Decker to carve out a role in the Patriots offense out of the gate. The 31-year-old logged a subpar (for him) 54 catches for 563 yards and a TD with the Titans last season, but if he's able to develop good chemistry with QB Tom Brady, Decker's 6-foot-3 frame could help him turn into an effective red-zone threat for his new team.

Decker's continued absence from practice doesn't bode well for his availability for Sunday's preseason game against the Bears, as the wideout likely only has two more chances to get in contact work before the game. He hasn't practiced since twisting his ankle last Wednesday.

Decker had hip surgery last month and was waiting to get the shoulder surgery until he no longer needed crutches. Decker will be worth monitoring in the offseason. He is a solid WR2 when healthy, but it will be hard to trust him following two surgeries.

Decker will be unable to undergo shoulder surgery until he's off crutches as a result of his hip surgery, which puts his timeline close to opening week of next season. It's easy to be optimistic now, but this is a storyline that will clearly warrant monitoring during 2017 draft season. In three games this year, Decker had nine catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He'll be 30 next season, with a huge question mark at the Jets quarterback position.