Patriots Country

Patriots Poach WR From AFC East Rival

The New England Patriots have signed an AFC East rival wide receiver in NFL free agency.

Matthew Schmidt

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Championship game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots have finally landed a wide receiver, although it's certainly not the big hit that Patriots fans would have wanted.

New England has stolen a playmaker away from the Buffalo Bills, signing receiver Mack Hollins to a two-year, $8.4 million contract, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Hollins played in every game this past season, logging 31 catches for 378 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.

The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of North Carolina, was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Hollins has certainly bounced around quite a bit throughout his professional career, as he has played for the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons in addition to his brief stints with the Eagles and Bills.

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Hollins definitely has the frame you would want for a big-time receiver, although his production has never quite materialized on the NFL level.

His best season came in 2022, when he hauled in 57 receptions for 690 yards and four scores with the Raiders.

Hollins has displayed the ability to be a big-play receiver for short stretches, but overall, he has largely been underwhelming in that capacity, owning a lifetime average of 12.8 yards per catch.

The Rockville, Md. native did put forth an impressive showing against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game this past winter, snaring three balls for 73 yards and a score, but overall, Hollins is really nothing more than an auxiliary option.

At the very least, Hollins will provide Drake Maye with a big receiver that Maye could target in the red zone, but he certainly cannot be the Patriots' only addition at the position this offseason.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.

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