The Patriots should reload.
Fortunately for his or her followers, after a 4-13 end final season and 0 playoff wins in 5 years, the Pats are flush with wage cap house with NFL free company starting subsequent week.
With over $100 million in room, the Patriots have essentially the most cap room within the league and want to begin spending money to hit the league’s spending ground. The NFL’s open tampering interval begins Monday at midday ET, when groups are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the licensed brokers of gamers who will turn out to be unrestricted free brokers. The new league yr formally begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, when groups are capable of execute a brand new contract with free brokers.
After parting methods with Bill Belichick this offseason, they’ve new management in head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting — and de facto basic supervisor — Eliot Wolf, who introduced on an virtually totally new workers on offense and a supplemented defensive workers.
The group hit all-time low in 2023 and now has wants throughout a largely barren roster. To preview free company, the Herald is publishing every day tales about free brokers at key positions of want.
Wide receiver
It says one thing about an offense when half of its 4 main pass-catchers are working backs.
That’s proper. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott caught extra passes than nearly the entire Patriots’ wideouts in 2023. By the numbers or by the attention check, Patriots receivers bombed final season.
Source: Patriots inserting transition tag on Kyle Dugger; what it means
The excellent news is, due to their cap house and draft capital, the Pats may remake the place in a single offseason. The unhealthy information is, being a premium place, each NFL group finds itself within the extensive receiver market in some type or trend. And to actually deep clear their receivers room, the Pats would wish to dump a minimum of one in all DeVante Parker or JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had been successfully useless weight final yr; and, in Smith-Schuster’s case, may cost them a late-round choose to commerce away.
In the meantime, listed below are six receivers the Patriots may add subsequent week in free company:
Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley
The prime wideout accessible, Ridley is coming off a 1,016-yard marketing campaign that adopted a year-long suspension for playing. Ridley wins in any respect ranges of the sphere and, extra critically, in opposition to each man and zone protection. The 2018 first-rounder boasts good measurement (6-1, 190) and lengthy pace. After his time away, Ridley would arrive with much less put on and tear than most gamers getting into their age-30 season.
The solely query is price ticket. Will Ridley’s baggage be sufficient to maintain prices decrease than $20 million yearly, roughly what Mike Evans acquired this week together with his extension? If so, Ridley — who reached 1,374 yards in 2020 — may begin Day 1 as a borderline No. 1 receiver for the Patriots.
Cardinals WR Marquise Brown
The 26-year-old speedster is among the few receivers accessible with a 1,000-yard season on his resume. He’s a former Ravens first-round choose, who’s began double-digit video games in all 5 years of his profession, whereas by no means ending with fewer than 574 yards. Injuries have hampered Brown, who handled foot and heel points the previous two seasons in Arizona.
In New England, he would introduce elite pace and above-average quickness, a mixture not one of the group’s present receivers possess. Brown could prime out as a No. 2 receiver, however that might work for this offseason, particularly if his well being cooperates. Another 1,000-yard season will not be out of the query for the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder.
Bengals WR Tyler Boyd
An 8-year veteran, Boyd is a big-bodied possession receiver who works largely out of the slot. He’s sure-handed and among the many most dependable targets available on the market. Entering his age-30 season, some groups will keep away from Boyd. The Patriots should not be one in all them, particularly if he is open to a short-term deal.
Patriots free company preview: Three QBs who may pair with new OC
Boyd not solely has expertise with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who coached in Cincinnati from 2018-19, however he is labored a lot with younger quarterbacks. The former captain can be sturdy, showing in a minimum of 14 video games each season since 2017. The Patriots confirmed Boyd immense respect throughout their final assembly with the Bengals in 2022, double-teaming him on third down and within the pink zone, whereas he was surrounded rising stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Bills WR Gabriel Davis
Davis is the alternative of Boyd — a 24-year-old teeming with potential, whose inconsistency has been an indicator of his sport. Still, Davis’ uncommon measurement for a deep risk (6-2, 225) would supply an actual increase for a Patriots offense in want of downfield juice. His 16.6 yards per catch common final season was a profession low, but nonetheless ranked seventh-best within the NFL.
Davis additionally completed with 45 catches for 746 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Texans WR Noah Brown
From starting-caliber gamers to worth signings, Brown would signify a stable addition for the Patriots as a WR4. He’s coming off consecutive seasons with a minimum of 550 yards, and averaged a ridiculous 17.2 yards per catch final season with the Texans. Brown additionally flashed a brand new upside in Houston, the place he loved two video games with 150-plus receiving yards alongside a rookie quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has a historical past of contributing on particular groups, which can have put him atop the Patriots’ board below Bill Belichick, however for now makes him a stable Plan C on this new period.
Ravens WR Devin Duvernay
Baltimore’s offense relegated Duvernay to the bench for many of final yr, using him primarily as a returner. Following a career-best 407 yards in 2022, Duvernay caught simply 4 passes for 18 yards final season So why ought to he attraction to the Patriots?
Well, in keeping with NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, new de facto GM Eliot Wolf comes from a scouting system that prioritizes receivers with return potential and a knack for getting yards after the catch. That’s Duvernay.
Source: www.bostonherald.com