Well, I guess the Patriots really weren't satisfied with their wide receiving corps last season after all.

I mean, I wish I had a dollar for the number of times that Tom Brady or Bill Belichick stood before the assembled media and tried to say with a straight face that the receivers who were running routes and catching (or not catching) passes for the Patriots in 2006 were totally satisfactory to them, a great bunch of guys who loved their mothers (well, possibly except for Doug Gabriel) and were working hard to become the best that they could be.

Part of those statements was probably true, and not just the parts about them loving their Moms.

There was a lot of hard work put in by the receivers, and the numbers that were eventually posted by players such as Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney were indicative of the quality of their efforts, as well as the quality of the quarterback throwing them the football.

But Caldwell, especially, reminded everyone in the AFC Championship Game why he was not really meant to be a No. 1 receiver. Two crucial drops, one in the end zone and one on the sideline that could have easily turned into a touchdown, were painful and costly reminders of his limitations. In just a few weeks, however, Caldwell has dropped from No. 1 in the position group to fourth or possibly fifth. Following the deal with the Dolphins for Wes Welker and the free-agency signings of Donté Stallworth and Kelley Washington, the depth chart has been turned upside down.

It's not really a slam dunk that Welker, Stallworth and Washington will provide the insurance policy that will bring the Patriots to Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, Ariz., next Feb. 3. In fact, at least with the latter two, there are plenty of unanswered questions about how they will fit in with the Patriots.

Both Stallworth and Washington fell out of favor with their former teams because they couldn't stay healthy and stay on the field. Stallworth has completed a full 16-game season only twice out of five seasons, and Washington has played in only 12 games in the past two years.

Stallworth is also a bit of a character risk. Reports out of New Orleans and Philadelphia say he has a history of missing or arriving late to meetings, or of missing practices by complaining of sore hamstrings. His recently revealed participation in the league's substance-abuse testing program is also a situation that will bear close scrutiny in the months to come.

farinella Washington was also hampered by hamstring trouble in the past season, which contributed to his inability to earn more playing time while the Bengals dealt with the off-field problems of Chris Henry.

But the Patriots have a history of being able to deal successfully with other teams' problem children. Corey Dillon, another ex-Bengal, is the poster child for personal transformation under the support mechanisms provided for players within the Patriots' locker room.

Stallworth, who turns 27 in November, and Washington (28 in August) are both approaching the prime of their careers. They both have size and speed, qualities that were in short supply in the Patriots' receiving corps of the recent past, and they now have Brady to help them reach their potential as players.

Welker is also a rare talent who gives the Patriots a burner at the slot position, an entirely new dimension to their offense. But there's a potential glitch in the Welker acquisition; according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the NFL Players Association may want the league to review the terms of the deal that brought Welker, a former restricted free agent, to the Patriots.

There are questions about whether the trade violated some of the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. The suggestion is that by trading for Welker instead of going through the motions of making an offer sheet and having the Dolphins decide whether to match it, the Patriots may have found a way to artificially lessen Welker's value.

However, the Sun-Sentinel story said that in most cases where all parties concerned have agreed to the terms and seem happy with them, the league generally does nothing to interfere with the deal. And NFLPA officials have since told news organizations that they have yet to pursue any formal review procedures. The rush for receivers was only part of the Patriots' attempts to restock the shelves entering the 2007 season. They lost tight end Daniel Graham but replaced him with a proven blocker in Kyle Brady. They released Dillon but replaced him with a productive runner in Sammy Morris, who should be able to provide the same sort of mileage that a declining Dillon would have been expected to produce. And they got a stud pass-rushing linebacker in Adalius Thomas, which partially addresses the need to replenish the linebacking corps with the loss of Tully Banta-Cain.

With about $4 million left under the salary cap, according to published reports, the Patriots' feeding frenzy in free agency is likely to end. But there are still other responsibilities to be met.

They still have six draft choices, including two first-rounders, and could receive as many as four more when the league announces its compensatory selections for lost free agents. And while the compensatory picks can't be traded, the others can - and the Patriots may now approach the draft with much more flexibility, less pressure to address offensive concerns and more freedom to either concentrate upon a few unresolved areas such as inside linebacker and safety, or swing some deals and start stockpiling extra picks for the future.

It's been an encouraging offseason so far, but I just wish it didn't take these kinds of bold moves to prove beyond a shadow of doubt what we were all trying to tell you months ago - that the Patriots' braintrust messed up in configuring the wide receiving corps for this past season.

Oh, well … that's what second chances are all about. That, and a truckload of money to throw around in free agency …

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com