Patriots' offseason checklist: Spend big, add weapons

Hunter had 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns along with 35 tackles and four interceptions last season and led the FBS with 21 catches of 20-plus yards. The Patriots threw for 176.1 yards per contest last season, but that wouldn’t be the case with Hunter on the team.

3. Add a free agent receiver

Two-way player or not, there’s only so much Hunter can do for a 4-13 team like the Patriots. Quarterback Drake Maye played well as a rookie last year, but clearly needs more weapons. Fortunately, New England can also afford a premier wide receiver.

Players like Houston's Stefon Diggs, Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin and Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins would all look good in a Patriots uniform, although at 26-years-old Higgins should be the team’s priority unless the Bengals try to keep him with a non-exclusive franchise tag.

4. Improve the offensive line

According to a recent report by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley will be a top target for new head coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf.

Stanley was the sixth-overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and allowed just two sacks last season. With two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nomination already in his pocket, he’s clearly one of the NFL’s best free agent tackles and an upgrade over current left tackle Vederian Lowe.

5. Improve the defensive line

In the same report, Callahan and Kyed named Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams as another top target for the team. The 25-year-old defensive tackle had a career-high five sacks last season and two more in Super Bowl LIX.

Pro Football Focus rates Williams as the second-best interior defender among available free agents and projects he’ll receive a contract worth upwards of $63M. According to the site, Williams has played in less than 50 percent of defensive snaps played in four NFL seasons but was on the field for at least 36 percent of snaps in every year since being drafted in 2021.

If not Williams, Cincinnati’s B.J. Williams and the Chargers Poona Ford would fit, otherwise Oregon defender Derrick Harmon and South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders could both be available for the team’s second-round pick, 38th overall.