(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Rookie wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has been turning heads all summer at camp and preseason game. Unfortunately, the speedster suffered a collarbone injury in Friday night’s preseason game against the Panthers and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

On the surface, you might not think this is a big blow for the Patriots offense, but it is when you consider the fact that Thornton complemented this receiving corp well with his ability to win one on one and stretch the field vertically. He routinely made difficult catches in contested catch situations.

The Patriots have depth at receiver so from that standpoint, they can absorb the blow but in a league where making big plays is a key to success offensively, losing Thornton hurts.

Based on the reported injury timeline, Thornton could come back by the end of October. The Patriots have a bye Week 10. I wouldn’t be surprised if they proceeded with caution and waited until after the bye to bring Thornton back.

It seemed like Bill Belichick may have finally drafted the right receiver. Granted it is early, but it looked like Thornton was going to be different. He wasn’t going to be like the other receivers that Belichick drafted before him. Now we will have to wait and see if that is the case.

Either way you look at it, this is a big blow for the Patriots and Thornton. The injury will stunt his development somewhat. Hopefully he fully recovers, returns this season and can make an impact.

It is a slippery slope for the team. Do you take your time with bringing Thornton back or do you activate him as soon he’s cleared?

Hopefully the Patriots don’t treat this situation like they did N’Keal Harry’s when he was a rookie. By babying Harry, they set him back in his development and it really stunted his growth as a player.