Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf dug his team a bit of a hole by declaring the team planned to “weaponize the offense” during the combine.
Former Jaguar Calvin Ridley was the only true needle-mover on the market, and New England reportedly made a strong push to sign the big-play threat. But once the Titans swooped in with a four-year, $92 million offer, it became clear that weapons wouldn’t be coming via free agency.
With next month’s draft loaded at wide receiver, there’s still plenty of time for Wolf and the Patriots to build up their offensive arsenal. Tee Higgins, Deebo Samuel, and even Brandon Aiyuk have also been floated as potential trade candidates, giving New England other possible avenues to add explosive talent to their receiving corps.
But until those dream scenarios become reality, it’s time to focus on veteran wideouts New England can add to complement “Z” receiver Kendrick Bourne, slot speedster DeMario Douglas, and whichever rookies the team selects in April.
Here are the most realistic options left on the wide receiver market that fit the Patriots’ current needs.
Mike Williams
The Patriots reportedly inquired about trading for Mike Williams before he was cut to get the Chargers under the cap. The soon-to-be 30-year-old suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of last season, so giving up draft capital for him didn’t sound ideal. But with Williams now a free agent and likely to sign for around $8 million per year, he becomes a much more intriguing option.
Williams is the best pass-catcher available in an admittedly thin market. As a big body who thrives on contested grabs downfield, he could replace DeVante Parker as the offense’s outside vertical threat.
That said, the combination of Williams’ knee injury, age, and history of missing games is discouraging, especially with Kendrick Bourne coming off an ACL tear of his own. Wolf has also stated he wants young players to play, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see New England double-dip at receiver, so there’s the question of whether Williams would accept a potential rotational role after being a starter for his entire career.
The former Charger has already been linked to the Panthers and Jets, so the Patriots might not even be in the running for his services. But if mutual interest develops between the two sides, Williams would be a best-case scenario signing as the most productive receiver on this list.
Michael Gallup
Michael Gallup was another cap casualty released during the first week of free agency. He totaled a career-low 418 receiving yards last season after suffering a torn ACL late in 2022 but appeared in every game for the first time since 2020. The 28-year-old also had his best game in the Wild Card Round against the Packers, catching all six of his targets for a season-high 108 yards.
Gallup isn’t a burner on the outside, but he has enough speed to stack corners and does an excellent job working the boundary. He’s also a big target who can high-point passes, make catches outside of his frame, box out defenders, and cover ground quickly with long strides after the catch. His biggest weaknesses on the field are working through contact and the occasional concentration drop.
Gallup’s strong final performance was a promising sign for his future production, but he hasn’t eclipsed 500 receiving yards in a season since 2020, in large part due to injury. If the Patriots are willing to gamble on him returning to his 2019-2020 form, particularly with young players behind him offering insurance in case he misses time, the former Cowboy could add some much-needed size and juice to the perimeter.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
There may not be a better fit for the Patriots on the current receiver market than Donovan Peoples-Jones. His best season came in 2022 with Jacoby Brissett as the Browns’ primary starter, when set career highs with 61 passes for 839 yards. Now that Brissett and former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt are in New England, Peoples-Jones could slide into the offense with relative ease.
The 25-year-old is a legitimate vertical threat with good ball-tracking and ball skills, particularly near the sideline. That said, he does drop some gimme throws and can struggle to adjust on inaccurate throws. He offers exceptional size at 6’2″, 212 lbs, and is competitive as a route-runner. He’s also an effective and willing run-blocker, but also draws too many unnecessary flags.
Peoples-Jones is the youngest option on this list and has no significant injury history aside from a nagging groin injury in 2021. He also has experience as a rotational player from his time with the Lions last season and, outside of his 2022 campaign, has never been more than a third receiving option. If he’s willing to fill a similar role with New England and reignite the spark he had with Brissett, coming to New England on a modest deal would make sense for both sides.
DJ Chark Jr.
D.J. Chark Jr. was the second-best receiver on an awful Panthers offense last season. He led the team with five receiving touchdowns and was second only to Adam Thielen with 551 receiving yards.
Chark isn’t much of a separator vs tight coverage, but he uses body positioning, late hands, strong concentration, and fancy footwork near the boundary to win outside. Against softer coverage, he does a nice job attacking defenders’ blind spots to create separation. His biggest concern is inconsistency in making catches through contact or outside of his frame, which contributed to five drops last season.
In a wide receiver market that’s becoming more shallow by the day, the Patriots could take a chance on Chark and see if he can be more effective in a less crippling offensive situation.
Josh Reynolds
Some may have soured on Josh Reynolds after his two critical drops in the NFC Championship Game, but those don’t reflect his overall body of work. He was a reliable fourth option for the Lions’ top-notch passing attack, proving to be a reliable and savvy receiver.
The 29-year-old won’t wow with his athleticism, but he understands how to set up defenders and will make tough catches with defenders in the area. While I wouldn’t consider Reynolds a YAC threat, he has good spatial awareness and can make the first defender miss if they take poor angles. He often benefitted from condensed splits with Detroit, but
Reynolds’ experience in the Lions and Rams’ winning systems, as well as his ability to consistently move the chains, would make him a valuable addition to a rebuilding Patriots offense. He may be more dependent on condensed splits and two-way go’s than the other names on this list, but if New England wants an inexpensive and battle-tested presence outside, Reynolds is one of best remaining options.
