Given the state of the Patriots’ receiving corps (it stinks), they’ll be linked to just about every available wide receiver and tight end at some point this offseason.
In a piece posted to ESPN.com Tuesday morning, NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler takes a stab at the best fit for each of the top 50 free agents after talking to league personnel, and he has the Patriots matched with one of the top free agent wide receivers: Will Fuller.
Fuller, whom ESPN has ranked as the 30th-best free agent overall and eighth-best wide receiver, might be one of the toughest free agents to project in terms of his next contract.
A 2016 first-round pick, the 26-year-old’s career in Houston has been plagued by injuries, including a broken collarbone, a torn ACL, a broken rib, a groin injury and multiple hamstring injuries. He has never played a full 16-game season and hasn’t played more than 11 games in any of the last four years.
Fuller finally looked like he was on his way to a No. 1 receiver-type season this past year, as he had 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns through 11 games, but then he got suspended six games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. That suspension will carry over to the first game of the 2021 season.
On the one hand, all of that could make Fuller a little bit of a bargain in the sense that you could get a potential No. 1 receiver for less than top-receiver money. On the other, Bill Belichick generally isn’t a big fan of players who can’t stay on the field.
Here’s what Fowler writes about the Patriots being a fit for Fuller:
No team needs a playmaking upgrade more, and Fuller has some New England traits -- fast but isn't limited to deep balls, has run-after-catch ability, will have a robust but not outrageous market. The Dolphins also need a true vertical threat who can get it done at all levels of the field. Maybe he simply follows Deshaun Watson wherever he goes. Fuller is oft-injured but showed No. 1 qualities last season.
Fowler also mentions the Patriots as possibilities for Titans wide receiver Corey Davis (whom he pairs with the Bears) and Lions defensive end Romeo Okwara (whom he has staying in Detroit).
When it comes to the other top receivers on the market, Fowler has tight end Hunter Henry going to the Colts, wide receiver Kenny Golladay going to the Giants, wide receiver Allen Robinson going to Washington, and wide receiver Chris Godwin staying in Tampa Bay. He has Patriots guard Joe Thuney leaving to sign a big-money deal with the Bengals.
You can read the full article here (ESPN+ subscription required).