Patriots, Cowboys Could Battle for Free Agent Star

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The New England Patriots need to bring in more wide receiver talent around young quarterback Drake Maye. While Tee Higgins would be the big prize for the team in free agency, there are other options to look at if they can't get him.
One of those options could be Buffalo Bills veteran wideout Amari Cooper.
Cooper has had a down season in 2024. He simply has not produced the kind of numbers that fans have become accustomed to seeing from him.
Despite the down season, Cooper is expected to draw quite a bit of interest in free agency.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report took a look at Cooper's upcoming free agency. They have named the Patriots and Dallas Cowboys as two of the top contenders to sign the veteran star.
In 14 games this season split between the Bills and Cleveland Browns, Cooper has caught 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers are obviously not what he was expected to produce this year.
At 30 years old, Cooper would be the ideal fit for New England. However, he would bring in another weapon for Maye short-term for the next couple of years.
If other younger options aren't available, pivoting to Cooper could make sense for the Patriots.
This could be something to keep a close eye on this offseason. Fighting it out with the Cowboys would make for a very interesting free agency situation to watch.
New England has a ton of cap space to work with this offseason. They will have the ability to make a few high-profile free agency additions if they choose to do so.
Cooper may not end up being one of their targets. But, if they choose to bring him in even if they sign another weapon, they could beat out any other team who has interest in him from a financial perspective.

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.