New England Patriots: Why They'd Be Crazy Not to Add a Big-Play Receiver

The New England Patriots' window is still wide open.

Last I checked, Tom Brady is still on their roster. Brady has showed no signs of slowing down and it’s hard to see the two-time MVP dropping from the league’s elite. They have weapons around him such as Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and the always reliable Deion Branch.

The defense, which was solid enough to help the team to the Super Bowl, is filled with young talented players and can only improve from last season’s subpar regular-season performance.

Another thing the Pats have going for them is that the AFC is going to be wide open next season.

The Baltimore Ravens, who the Patriots defeated in last season’s AFC championship game, sport an aging defense, an offense with limited weapons at the receiver position and a quarterback who finished last season 18^th in passer rating.

New England’s other main competition in the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers, lost to the 8-8 Denver Broncos in their first playoff game last season, and constant injuries to key players have made many question their ability to come back strong next season.

The Patriots have a prime opportunity to make a Super Bowl run next season. With a 35-year-old quarterback, the team needs to make the most of every opportunity they receive.

The one thing the team’s offense was missing last season was a big-play wide receiver.

The Patriots' longest completion in the Super Bowl was a 16-yard pass late in the fourth quarter to Branch. With star tight end Gronkowski injured, the offense struggled mightily to throw the ball downfield.

This was not only a problem during the Super Bowl, but throughout the season. Welker and Branch are both possession receivers, and Matthew Slater, the receiver the team most often threw to when trying to make a big play downfield, is a great special teams player but not much of a pass-catcher.

The two receivers the team should strongly consider going after are Vincent Jackson and Mike Wallace.

Jackson is a huge target standing 6'5" tall. He has the size, speed and leaping ability to make big plays in the vertical passing game. The unrestricted free agent was third in the NFL averaging 18.4 yards per reception and also finished the year with 1,106 receiving yards.

Wallace is a restricted free agent so the Pats would have to give up a first-round pick in order to make an offer for him.

Luckily, the Patriots have two first-round picks this year and the team would most likely trade one of them away anyway, so giving away a first-rounder for a receiver of Wallace’s caliber would be a wise decision.

Wallace had just around 1,200 receiving yards this past season, and had seven catches of over 40 yards, which was fourth most in the league.

Getting Wallace would also be a huge addition because the Patriots would be taking away the most dangerous offensive weapon from one of their biggest rivals. Stealing Wallace from the Steelers would greatly diminish Pittsburgh’s chances of challenging New England for the AFC title.

The Patriots still have a few years to compete for another Super Bowl title. However, the team needs to take advantage of the last few years of Brady’s career because when he’s gone, the team will be starting from scratch.