Patriots Trade Rumors: Panthers' Robby Anderson a Target Before 2022 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots have reportedly "shown some interest" in a potential trade for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson ahead of the NFL's new league year on March 16.

Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal reported Saturday the Pats were "impressed" by what they've seen from Anderson on film, and if he's acquired it would put the New England future of fellow wideout Nelson Agholor "in doubt."

Patriots quarterback Mac Jones enjoyed a solid rookie season in 2021, completing 67.6 percent of his throws for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He ranked 16th in ESPN's Total QBR (50.9), denoting an average year compared to his counterparts around the league.

Helping him reach the upper echelon of signal-callers starts with putting more playmaking talent around him. New England has lacked high-skill players on the outside since the final seasons of the Tom Brady era.

Whether Anderson would represent a significant upgrade in that area is up for debate.

The 28-year-old Temple product has been a consistent producer across six NFL seasons with the Panthers and New York Jets, but he's topped 1,000 yards only once and is coming off a year in Carolina where he recorded just 519 yards in 17 games.

Anderson, who received a lackluster 60.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2021, also has a modest 28 touchdowns in 95 career appearances.

He's a solid, reliable target who's shown the ability to play both on the outside and in the slot, but he's not the surefire No. 1 receiver the Patriots could use.

The New Jersey native would also come at a pretty high price. He's under contract through 2023 with a $16.8 million salary-cap hit in 2022 and a $15.8 million cap hit in 2023, per Spotrac.

All told, Anderson would likely represent an upgrade over Agholor, who's struggled to reach expectations since being selected in the first round of the 2015 draft, but there would still be a need for the Pats to further upgrade their offensive weapons.

New England ranked 14th in passing yards per game (226.9) this past season. The Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams ranked fifth (273.1), and the runner-up Cincinnati Bengals were seventh (259.0), showing the importance of the aerial attack.