Patriots' Josh Gordon: Facing new competition

Gordon will have competition in the form of new teammate Antonio Brown, who signed with the Patriots on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Brown won't be eligible to play Week 1 considering he didn't sign with the team before the 4 p.m EDT Saturday deadline, but it's fair to question what type of role Gordon will have once the star receiver officially takes the field. It's possible Brown will simply move to the outside, thus allowing Julian Edelman to command his usual attention in the slot while Gordon splits out wide. However neither Brown nor Edelman is known for his field-stretching speed, something the Patriots woefully lack despite their vast assortment of weapons, which should give the 28-year-old at least a safe floor in terms of offensive snaps per game. Brown will likely cut into Gordon's projected red-zone influence, particularly considering the 5-foot-10 wideout managed to lead the league in touchdown receptions (15) last season with the Steelers, but the loss of Rob Gronkowski (retirement) opens the door for multiple Patriots to succeed near the end zone. It might take a number of weeks to truly realize Brown's role on offense, but Gordon certainly will have his place so long as he's on the field.