Free agency got off to the worst possible start for the New England Patriots. The team was rumored to be in pursuit for offensive weapons, but struck out on Amari Cooper, Austin Hooper, DeAndre Hopkins, Hayden Hurst, and Stefon Diggs. Additionally, they (unsurprisingly) lost Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins to mega deals with some of Bill Belichick’s disciples. The team isn’t in a great place right now, especially considering they need to give Tom Brady a reason to come back. Fortunately for the Patriots, there are still avenues to improve the roster, whether by trade or free agency.
New England Patriots Remaining Free Agency Options
Sign Any of the Free Agent Tight Ends
Outside of Austin Hooper, all of the big-name tight ends are still available in free agency. Hooper is a solid player, but he’s not worth the record-setting contract he received. Belichick knows this, and can still upgrade the position by pursuing a guy like Eric Ebron. Ebron is no Rob Gronkowski (obviously), but he is an average to above-average tight end that can get open in the red zone and hold his own in the trenches. Honestly, that’s all the Patriots really need at this point in time.
There are a lot of tight ends on the market with a similar skill set to Ebron. The difference between Ebron and a guy like Tyler Eifert is pretty slim, so New England might sit back and wait for the market to develop. Once the dust settles, the Patriots can sign the cheapest tight end left and plug him in to the starting spot.
Trade for Odell Beckham
This rumor just won’t die. The Cleveland Browns emptied the bank to sign Austin Hooper, leaving the team stacked to the brim with offensive weapons. David Njoku reportedly isn’t going to be traded, so could the Browns be talked into trading away their star wide receiver? Beckham has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, but he’s a top-five receiver when he’s at his absolute best. The Browns still need help along the interior, and they could agree to trading Beckham in exchange for Thuney and a first-round pick.
Trade for Hunter Henry
Hunter Henry is easily worth the record-setting contract he’s about to receive. While the former second-round pick has battled health ailments throughout his career, he’s one of the best pass-catching tight ends in football when on the field. He’s a below-average blocker, but he’s not an outward liability. Players like Henry are in short supply in today’s NFL, and trading for him could give Brady motivation to re-sign with the Patriots.
New England would probably have to give up their first-round pick along with guard Joe Thuney in order for a deal to come to fruition. While that is a steep price to pay, it’s definitely worth it for a true difference-maker like Henry.
Sign Emmanuel Sanders
Amari Cooper may be gone, but Emmanuel Sanders is still on the open market. The Patriots have long admired Sanders from afar and even tried to sign him as a restricted free agent back in 2013. The former San Francisco 49er can still play at a high level and his skill set is a perfect match for New England’s offense. He’s not a true difference-maker at the position, but he’s an above-average starter that can perfectly complement Julian Edelman and Mohamed Sanu.
Trade for Marvin Jones
The Detroit Lions are not going to compete in 2020 and should do everything in their power to build up assets for the future. With that in mind, the Patriots should talk to old friend Matt Patricia about the possibility of trading for 30-year old wide receiver Marvin Jones. Jones isn’t the typical New England receiver in that he’s a big-bodied, contested-catch type of receiver that routinely wins with size rather than shiftiness. However, that’s exactly the type of player the Patriots need right now. Considering his age and relative talent level, the Patriots probably won’t have to part with their first-round pick to make this deal happen. Trading Joe Thuney and a mid- to late-round pick should be enough to get it done.
Trade for A.J. Green
This is the riskiest move on the list. At his best, A.J. Green is one of the most complete, dominant, and well-rounded forces in the NFL. However, we haven’t seen A.J. Green at his best in quite some time. The stud wide receiver missed the entirety of the 2019 season recovering from what was supposed to be a six-week injury and only appeared in seven games in 2018. Age might be catching up to the former great, and giving up assets for his services would be a tremendous risk. However, if the Patriots feel comfortable he can return to his old form, he’d represent the best possible acquisition from a talent perspective, aside from Beckham.
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