Patriots To ‘Explore’ WR Addition

“Sure. Anybody that can help us. We’ll go explore in here shortly,” Vrabel said (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald).

The Patriots won the AFC last season, but they were not content to run it back with that group of receivers. They released leading receiver Stefon Diggs, freeing up $16.8MM in cap room, and then added former Packer Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $68MM pact in free agency. In the Patriots’ most significant move of the offseason, they acquired three-time second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler A.J. Brown in an early June blockbuster with the Eagles.

With Brown coming in as their new No. 1 option and Doubs set to start alongside him, the Patriots felt they were deep enough to trade Kayshon Boutte to the Texans in late August. Boutte’s exit left Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism behind Brown and Doubs to open the season, but the club has unexpectedly gone without Brown for almost the whole year. He exited the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Seahawks with a high ankle sprain and then landed on injured reserve.

Brown will be eligible to play in Week 6, though he may be out for a bit longer than that. Meanwhile, despite catching six passes and two touchdowns against the Bills, Doubs has been a mixed bag so far. To Doubs’ credit, he and Hollins are the only Patriots receivers who have at least 200 yards this year. None of their other wideouts have reached 100, though the unheralded Chism stepped up with a ridiculous one-handed TD grab to give the Pats the lead over the Bills with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter. They went up 29-26 and sealed the victory when Craig Woodson intercepted Josh Allen on the Bills’ last drive. At 2-2, the Patriots are now right on the heels of the 3-1 Bills in a division that should be a two-way race.

Brown could be back relatively soon, and New England doesn’t seem overly concerned about Hollins’ injury. With that in mind, the Patriots may opt for a depth receiver pickup over a splashy addition. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr., the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. and the Browns’ Jerry Jeudy have come up as potential trade candidates. Tyreek Hill, who could sign with a team this week, is the most notable wideout left in free agency.