Patriots Targeting 'Multiple Receivers' To Sign In Free Agency?
It's no secret that the New England Patriots offense was horrific last season.
They were 31st in points per game (13.9), 30th in total yards per game (276.2), 28th in passing yards per game (180.5) and 26th in rushing yards per game (95.7). As if those stats weren't tough enough to read, the Patriots were shut out twice and held to seven points or less six times.
Sports Illustrated broke down one offseason need for each AFC East team and had adding to the receiver room as the top priority for New England.
Dec 31, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) is unable to make the catch as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) defends during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
"While Marvin Harrison Jr. is an option with the No. 3 pick, the Patriots should also add at least one meaningful veteran," SI writes. "There are a host of receivers slated to be available on the market, including Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., Hollywood Brown, Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley, [Gabe] Davis, Odell Beckham Jr., Darnell Mooney and others. New England has to make a serious run at, and land, one if not two of those names to get the offense rolling again."
Sports Illustrated also wrote the Patriots should cut receivers Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker and let Kendrick Bourne leave in free agency. Bourne showed promise with 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns before tearing his ACL in Week 8.
Signing any player on offense would address a pressing need for the Patriots, but after rookie receiver DeMario Douglas was the team's leading receiver with 561 receiving yards and running back Ezekiel Elliot led the team with 51 catches in 2023, it's clear adding pass-catchers is almost as much of a need as a quarterback.
Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and Indianapolis Colts receiver Michael Pittman are the most intriguing options, as they're both young receivers who may only be scratching the surface of their potential. Higgins, 25, has the potential to be a No. 1 receiver but is stuck behind Ja'Marr Chase, while Pittman has proven to be a reliable target despite the Colts' quarterback issues for much of his career.
Cincinnati also finds itself in a bind, as it has to decide if it wants to invest in two big contracts at the same position. While the Bengals could franchise-tag Higgings, his long-term future is likely elsewhere. Higgins had at least 65 catches, 900 receiving yards and six touchdowns through his first three seasons before injuries limited him to 42 catches for 656 yards and five touchdowns in 2023.
Pittman has found a way to produce in each of his four seasons in the NFL despite inconsistent quarterback play for much of it in Indianapolis. In his last three seasons, he has had at least 88 catches, 925 receiving yards and four touchdowns. With Pittman being the clear-cut top receiving option for the Colts, it's much more likely they'll do whatever it takes to sign him long-term to ensure second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson is set up for success when he returns next season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. would fit the bill as well for New England, but its needs at quarterback and on the offensive line could make taking him at No. 3 overall a little rich. Higgins and Pittman were each second-round picks, and that may prove to be the best approach for the Patriots to address their need at receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, even if they do sign a top-receiving option in free agency.
Hollywood Brown, Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley would also greatly improve the Patriots receiving room, though, at their age, it's more likely they'll sign with a team competing for a Super Bowl than one in the middle of a rebuild and could start a rookie quarterback.
If Pittman and Higgins hit free agency, they should be atop the Patriots' targets in free agency. If they can land one and a top receiver in the first two rounds of the draft, it'd go a long way toward fixing one of the worst offenses in football and setting up whoever is playing quarterback next season for success.
