Chad Ochocinco Fantasy News

Friday, May 4, 2012, 4:40pm

ESPN writer James Walker speculates about how the Patriots' WR corps will shake out:

Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd and Jabar Gaffney are locks. That leaves four roster spots, at most, for receivers. Deion Branch is in because he's a solid veteran who knows the offense well. I think you also keep Matthew Slater as the No. 7 receiver, mostly due to the fact he's a Pro Bowler on special teams and a team captain. The final two spots are really up in the air. I think Chad Ochocinco, Anthony Gonzalez and Donte Stallworth all have a realistic chance. Julian Edelman looks like the definite odd man out following the Gaffney signing.

Jabar Gaffney to sign two-year deal with the Patriots
Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 9:00pm

WR Jabar Gaffney told Josina Anderson of ESPN that he will be signing a deal with the Patriots soon. Gaffney played for the Pats from 2006-2008, catching 85 passes for 1,059 yards and eight touchdowns. His production spiked after leaving New England, he has 187 catches over the last three years, but he was a reliable target for Tom Brady when he was in New England.

The Patriots have added Brandon Lloyd, Donte’ Stallworth and Anthony Gonzalez to a receiving group that already included Deion Branch, Chad Ochocinco and Julian Edelman. Wes Welker will also be back, whether he signs his franchise tender or a long-term deal, and that makes for a crowded depth chart.

The NFL Network's Jason La Canfora reports that the deal is for two years.

Thursday, April 5, 2012, 3:42pm

New England Patriots Pro Bowl wide receiver Wes Welker said Chad Ochocinco will have a role in New England's offense and he suspects it will be more prominent than the one he had in 2011.

"Chad's such a great player and he has been for a long time," Welker said.

"If you have him go out there and run a comeback, he's the best comeback runner I think I've ever seen. Being able to do some of those different things for us will be huge and I look for him to improve greatly from this past year."

Ochocinco struggled to fully grasp the Patriots' complex scheme after being traded to New England in the lockout shortened offseason. The six-time Pro Bowl receiver had career lows in every major category (minus yards per reception), after playing sparingly due to a lack of familiarity with the ninth ranked offense in the NFL.

That should change with one season under his belt in New England and a full offseason with Tom Brady, Welker and the rest of the Patriots' explosive offense. Ochocinco was never a renowned route runner during his time in Cincinnati, something that is crucial in New England's offense, but he has never lacked talent.

Chad Ochocinco restructures contract to stay in New England
Sunday, March 25, 2012, 11:34pm

Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco restructured his contract for coming season, lowering base salary from $3 million to $1 million.

Friday, March 23, 2012, 3:05pm

"Ochocinco will be back in New England next year," Schefter says in the video above. "They believe that he'll spend this offseason immersing himself in the playbook, familiarizing himself with the Patriots' offense. They're going to bring all these wide receivers in and let them compete in training camp and the best receivers will play."

Ridley, Vereen, Ochocinco inactive for Patriots
Sunday, January 22, 2012, 7:19pm

Patriots Inactives
WR Chad Ochocinco
RB Stevan Ridley
RB Shane Vereen
OT Sebastian Vollmer
LB Gary Guyton
OL Donald Thomas
QB Ryan Mallett

Saturday, January 21, 2012, 6:31pm

Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco boarded a plane bound for the Miami area last night past 6 p.m., according to a source, and he planned to attend his father’s funeral today.

With the Patriots playing in the AFC Championship game on Sunday at 3 p.m., Ochocinco plans to get back in time for the game. With weather concerns around the country — it’s snowing in Boston — it’s not a sure thing.

Shane Vereen, Deion Branch out for Patriots
Sunday, December 18, 2011, 8:09pm

Patriots Inactives
Deion Branch WR
Patrick Chung FS
Ryan Mallett QB
Brandon Spikes OLB
Shane Vereen RB
Sebastian Vollmer OT

Sunday, November 27, 2011, 7:52pm

Patriots Inactives
Patrick Chung FS
Dan Connolly C
Dane Fletcher OLB
Ryan Mallett QB
Devin McCourty CB
Chad Ochocinco WR
Brandon Spikes OLB

Sunday, November 27, 2011, 12:29am

New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Ochocinco will be out for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Ochocinco popped up on the injury report with a hamstring injury on Friday and did not practice. He was listed as questionable.

It will be the first game Ochocinco will miss this season.

Friday, November 11, 2011, 4:40pm

The most exciting new face when Chad Ochocinco was brought aboard, to say that he has struggled is an understatement. Within the last month, teammates could be seen telling him where to line up before the snap, and because of that he hasn’t been able to contribute when the Patriots go to the no-huddle, which is a significant part of their offense. He hasn’t had a catch in three straight games, though he was targeted five times against the Giants. Tom Brady again expressed confidence in Ochocinco this week, and privately teammates say he’s putting in the work. With Deion Branch unable to get open like he used to and defenses starting to show more attention to Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots have little choice but to get Ochocinco ready for a bigger role.