The reasons behind the Patriots decision to trade for Mohamed Sanu became clearer Wednesday when the team placed Josh Gordon on injured reserve with a knee injury and will likely waive him off IR once he is healthy, according to the NFL Network. This could have far-reaching implications for the team's receiving corps for the rest of the season — and possibly those of other teams if Gordon latches on elsewhere.

Gordon has been out since Week 6 with a knee injury, but NFL Network reports he is actually being placed on IR due to two bone bruises he was dealing with before that injury. Gordon had 20 catches for 287 yards and one touchdown in six games, with no more than 83 yards in any game before the injury, and his time with the Patriots has now come to an end.

That isn't the worst thing in the world, as Gordon could catch on elsewhere if he gets healthy — something he hopes could happen soon. He isn't necessarily a must-drop, in other words, and you should probably lean toward holding him at this point. Of course, given how much uncertainty there is now, Gordon seems like a bit of a long shot to make an impact in 2019 again. Sure, Gordon could catch on elsewhere and make an impact, but he would first need to get healthy and then land somewhere he can make an impact. You'll have to decide for yourself whether you can afford the roster spot.

The bigger question now becomes what will the Patriots receiving corps look like, and a couple of new faces could play a big part.

Obviously, Sanu figures to be a significant part of that after the Patriots acquired him Tuesday. Sanu will likely slide into a prominent role as a primary slot option, a role that Jakobi Meyers has helped fill in the weeks since Gordon's injury with Julian Edelman sliding outside. Meyers has run 43 routs out of the slot over the past two weeks compared to 50 run by Edelman, but figure that starts to lean Sanu's way — he ran nearly 85% of his routes out of the slot with the Falcons.

How the Patriots split the slot work between Sanu and Edelman will be a significant part of the puzzle, but the outside wide receiver spots are just as important. Edelman should see more time outside with Sanu in the picture, and Phillip Dorsett should handle plenty of the other outside spot, too. Dorsett has been fairly effective, with 18 catches on 27 targets for 243 yards, including 13.6 Fantasy points in PPR leagues in Week 7.

However, the Patriots real replacement for Gordon could be preparing to make his debut in the next few weeks. Rookie first-rounder N'Keal Harry returned to practice for the first time since the preseason last week, after suffering a preseason ankle injury. Harry was the team's first player designated to return from IR, and he is eligible to return to the active roster in Week 9.

At 6-foot-2, 228 pounds with a 4.53 40-yard time, Harry has ideal speed and size for the outside role, and he put up consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with at least eight touchdowns as a sophomore and junior at Arizona State. Per SportsInfoSolutions, just 33 of Harry's 117 targets in 2018 came from the slot, so he's no stranger to working outside.

Harry is still a long shot to make an impact as a rookie after his extensive time out, so stashing him amounts to little more than a low-risk lottery ticket. If you had Gordon, you would probably still rather have him than Harry. But if you have a roster spot to spare, I like the idea of adding Harry and hoping he's able to make his debut in a few weeks, with the potential to break out before the Fantasy playoffs. There are worse bets you can make than on a first-rounder about to catch passes from Tom Brady.

For now, this passing game will likely revolve around Edelman, Sanu and James White, in that order, with Edelman remaining a must-start option in all formats, Sanu a low-end starter (until he proves himself), and White's role and value likely remaining unchanged. Dorsett remains a desperation play, while Harry holds promise for the future, but little more. 

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