Free Agents Patriots Should Pursue After 2023 NFL Draft
The New England Patriots have not been as aggressive in adding help at the offensive skill positions for Mac Jones as we thought they would have been this offseason.
Bill Belichick and his staff chose to address the team's need at cornerback in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft with Christian Gonzalez.
The Patriots did not pick a wide receiver until the sixth round, where they landed Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas.
The sixth-round picks joined JuJu Smith-Schuster as the new additions at the position. The Patriots have a fine depth chart with nice pass-catching options, but they do not have a superstar wideout, like other AFC East teams.
No trades for top-tier WRs, such as DeAndre Hopkins, have come about this offseason, so New England may have to settle for trusting a veteran group of wideouts to help Jones with his development in 2023.
That could also lead to the Patriots adding one or two more depth pieces through the free-agent market before they head for training camp in July.
Jarvis Landry
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Jarvis Landry is the best free-agent wide receiver the Patriots could go after right now.
The 30-year-old is coming off a disappointing season with the New Orleans Saints in which he recorded the lowest single-season receiving-yard total of his career.
His signing might not strum up much excitement among Patriots fans because of that, but it may be the team's best option to add more depth.
Smith-Schuster leads a depth chart that includes DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thornton. It is, arguably, the worst wide receiver room in the AFC East due to the lack of a star or multiple top receivers, like the Miami Dolphins have.
The Patriots may have missed out on the chance to land a top-tier wideout this offseason, so they could go into damage-control mode and land someone like Landry on a cheap veteran deal.
A wide receiver room of Smith-Schuster, Landry, Parker, Bourne and Thornton looks decent on paper, and it should bring a ton of experience on the field for Jones to work with.
But you could make the case that a potential Landry signing is redundant because he fits a similar profile as Smith-Schuster and Parker, who were added in the last 12 months to be veteran presences to help Jones.
Demarcus Robinson
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Demarcus Robinson would fit a different profile than the current wide receivers on the Patriots roster.
The 28-year-old is a speedy, big-play wide receiver who may complement Smith-Schuster and others in certain formations.
Robinson has never had more than 500 receiving yards in a single season, but he did record a single-season best of 48 receptions with the Baltimore Ravens in 2022.
An easy case could be made to sign the Florida product over any other free-agent wide receiver because of his production last season.
Landry was injured for half of the campaign, Kenny Golladay underperformed his New York Giants contract, and Julio Jones dealt with some ineffectiveness with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Patriots would not ask Robinson to be anywhere close to a 1,000-yard receiver, but if he could break out for a handful of big plays and score a few touchdowns, he would be a great fit in their offense.
Kareem Hunt
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New England's other free-agent direction could be to add the best possible playmaker to the offense.
Kareem Hunt produced 35 receptions in three of his four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, and he might be a good outlet for Jones to work with out of the backfield.
New England currently has Rhamondre Stevenson on top of the running back depth chart with Pierre Strong Jr. and James Robinson behind him.
Hunt has been a more effective pass-catcher over the last few seasons than Robinson, who struggled to make an impact with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets in 2022.
New England could stick with its current plan and allow Robinson, 24, to be the primary pass-catching running back because he is three years younger than Hunt, but the ineffectiveness in two new offensive schemes last season could be cause for concern.
Robinson did not adapt well to Doug Pederson's offense, and he stuck on the sidelines because of the new system and Travis Etienne's return from injury. He had 90 total yards in four games after his trade to New York.
Hunt would provide insurance in case Robinson does not pan out, but he may ask for more money than the Patriots want to pay a backup running back because of his 123-carry, 35-reception campaign.
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