Seven Offensive Skill Position Players the New England Patriots Should Target

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By losing Super Bowl XLVI to the New York Giants, some of the offensive deficiencies of the New England Patriots were exposed. 

Almost all of these deficiencies, especially at wide receiver, could easily be fixed this NFL offseason through free agency and the draft.

Here are seven offensive skill players the Patriots should look to acquire.

1. Wes Welker and Deion Branch

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Okay, I kind of cheated on this one, but the top priority this offseason for New England is to bring back Tom Brady's two favorite targets. 

While Branch has lost a step or two, he is still a serviceable receiver who runs routes well and knows the Patriots' offense like the back of his hand.

As for Welker, he is the top slot receiver in the NFL. Yes, he had the big drop in the Super Bowl, but his astounding production over the last four years (554 Rec, 6,105 Yds, 31 TD) is something that cannot be replaced.

2. Brandon Lloyd

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New England is very fortunate. Brandon Lloyd is an upper-echelon receiver in the NFL, and he has publicly stated that his loyalty lies in Josh McDaniels.

Normally, this wouldn't be too big of a deal, but for those of you unfamiliar, New England has hired McDaniels to be the team's offensive coordinator in 2012-13. 

While coaching the Denver Broncos and serving as the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, McDaniels used Lloyd in a bevy of different ways. Lloyd played on the outside, in the slot, stretched the field, ran short routes and managed to produce despite mediocre quarterback play. His versatility is something Bill Belichick would love to have on the roster.

If Lloyd was able to catch 147 balls for 2,414 yards and 16 touchdowns with quarterbacks like Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, imagine what he can do with Tom Brady.

3. Michael Floyd

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Michael Floyd is a freak of nature. 

Yes, he has had issues off the field, but there's no denying his considerable physical tools.

Floyd is a receiver out of the Randy Moss mold: tall, fast, athletic, strong and has a very reliable set of hands.  

The problem is that Floyd's draft stock has been going up in the past few weeks. Floyd can very well be off the board by the time New England is on the clock in the draft.

That leaves the Pats with two options: either trade up or go in a different direction.

4. Stephen Hill

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Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill is the latest in a long line of tall, talented receivers to play in the Yellow Jacket's option offense. 

Like Calvin Johnson and Demaryius Thomas, Hill's considerable upside was never reached due to Paul Johnson's offense that was predicated on running the football. 

While he would need some work, Hill is a potential No. 1 receiver with a dynamic skill set and all the measurables that make scouts drool.

The best thing about Hill? He will likely still be on the board in the second or third round, meaning the Patriots could use their early round picks to address more pressing needs like their defense.

5. Brian Hoyer

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Even though the Patriots have Ryan Mallett, you need to believe the team would like to re-sign Brian Hoyer. 

If there's one thing Bill Belichick values, it's knowing all the intricacies of the team's offense.

While Hoyer hasn't played much, he seems to be a Belichick favorite. While it may be more prudent to develop Mallett, Hoyer's knowledge of the offense makes him a valuable commodity.

6. Earnest Graham

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Kevin Faulk is listed as the Patriot's fullback on ESPN, with Danny Woodhead backing him up.

It is believed that Faulk will be retiring. Woodhead, on the other hand, will likely be used more as a running back due to BenJarvus Green-Ellis' impending free agency.

Earnest Graham is a very good fullback/special teams player when healthy. However, in Week 7 of this past season, Graham tore his Achilles tendon.

If Graham is healthy, his ability as a blocker and short yardage runner could make him very appealing to New England. Especially if Graham is available at a discounted price due to his history of injuries.

7. Marc Tyler

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If there's one thing every Patriots fan knows, it is that the front office loves talented players that they can get at a good value.

Marc Tyler is a former 5-star recruit who produced while attending USC.

However, off-the-field incidents and lack of speed have hurt his draft stock.

If the Patriots can use a late pick on Tyler and convert him to a fullback (he has the size at 230 lbs), he has a shot at getting playing time in 2012-13.