6 rings & football things: What should be next for Patriots as New League Year begins?
“Burn some cash.”
“Weaponize the offense.”
“We’re bringing in talent, 1000 percent.”
Three quotes, two from head coach Jerod Mayo and one from executive Eliot Wolf, that may feel like empty words and false promises from the Patriots’ brass less than 24 hours into the official start of free agency.
According to multiple reports, New England was in the hunt for free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley. They had an offer on the table for a reported $22 million per year.
They were outbid by the Tennessee Titans – who signed the 29-year-old to a four-year, $92 million deal with $50 million fully guaranteed. $23 million per.
An overpay? Perhaps. But it’s free agency, and you have cap space. They tried. They failed. That’s business, baby.
So they miss out on Ridley. Move on. That’s what they’re doing inside the building anyway, at least according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson.
However, they still need to address the position. A game-changing, high-volume, dependable wide receiver is something they’ve longed for, frankly, since before Tom Brady left Foxborough in March of 2020.
Here are three ways they can pivot from here:
Dip back into free agency
The NFL’s free agent wide receiver market was shot from the start after Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., and Mike Evans all returned to their respective teams (whether it was on their own accord or not – we’ll get to), however, there are still some options available:
Tyler Boyd, a former Bengal, stands at 6-foot-2 and has logged two 1,000+ yard receiving seasons during his eight-year career in Cincinnati. Both his workload and production, however, have decreased a bit since 2020 after the team selected Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase in back-to-back drafts. According to MassLive's Mark Daniels, New England is "showing interest" in him on the market.
Mike Williams, a former Charger, was released in Los Angeles on Wednesday in a move that saved them $20 million against their salary cap. The 29-year-old is a phenomenal, true ‘X’ talent when healthy, but he’s coming off of a torn ACL he suffered last September.
Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, a former Raven and Cardinal, was drafted by Baltimore out of Oklahoma in the first round of the 2019 draft. After a 1,000-yard, six-touchdown season in 2021, he was traded (along with a third-round pick) to Arizona for their first-rounder. The 26-year-old now hits unrestricted free agency after two sub-par seasons in the desert
Acquire a receiver via trade
The Patriots could also the Bills (Stefon Diggs), Dolphins (Tyreek Hill), and Eagles (A.J. Brown) route and trade for a veteran pass catcher.
Tee Higgins, who we mentioned above, and Brandon Aiyuk immediately come to mind.
Though Higgins was franchise-tagged by the Bengals last month, it’s been reported that the 6-foot-4 wide receiver has since requested a trade and is “done” with the team.
Time to pounce.
Higgins is just 25 years old and put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021-2022 before missing five games this past year with a hamstring injury. He would immediately give the Patriots (and the rookie quarterback they’re likely to take with the No. 3 overall pick) a trustworthy outside X wide receiver.
As for Aiyuk, he’s also 25 and has also put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons (with a career-high 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023). He’s entering a contract year with the 49ers and is in the same wide receiver room with Deebo Samuel – who’s already been paid. It’ll be extremely tough for San Francisco to fit them both into the salary cap.
FWIW: Aiyuk played some college ball with quarterback Jayden Daniels, who could be in play for New England with the No. 3 overall pick.
Hold off until the draft
In Anderson’s report about the Patriots “moving on,” she added that New England will now turn their attention to the NFL Draft to address wide receiver. A valid decision, considering the depth of the class.
At pick No. 3 overall, the obvious answer to address the position would be to stick and pick Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., or trade back a bit, collect assets, and target Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers.
At pick No. 34, the options are still wide open. Texas’ AD Mitchell comes to mind, but after a solid combine the former Longhorn may warrant a trade up into the first round. Which would also be a possible avenue for New England.
Other late first-round, early second-round targets include LSU’s Brian Thomas, Florida State’s Keon Coleman, and Georgia’s Ladd McConkey.
At pick No. 68 (if they go this long without addressing the position, we will officially have a problem) they could hone in on Florida’s Ricky Pearsall or Michigan’s Roman Wilson.
Long story short: This was always going to be a process. Is it time to panic yet? Not exactly. Did Wolf and Mayo corner themselves with their comments? Perhaps. But cautious optimism feels like the right way to go for now as, like was said, we’re hours into the 2024 season.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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