The New England Patriots are desperate to add another weapon at wide receiver to help convince veteran quarterback Tom Brady to stay. Last season, Brady struggled to connect with his wide receivers and tight ends as he completed just 60.8 percent, or 373 out of 613, of his throws for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Veteran wideout Julian Edelman emerged as his favorite target while N’Keal Harry and Mohamed Sanu failed to live up to the billing as the Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Game. Now, 42-year-old Brady will become a free agent for the first time in his 20-year career on March 18 and his future with the Patriots hangs in the balance.
It was reported that the Patriots are willing to offer him a yearly salary in excess of $30 million to stay in New England. However, another report has it that Brady wants the team to invest in additional weapons that will help him in his quest for a seventh Super Bowl ring.
Patriots could go after Beckham
According to Will Brinson of CBS Sports, the Patriots could take a wide receiver with their first-round pick or they could use it to arrange a trade for a tested wide receiver who would help convince Brady to remain in New England, like Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns. “So we'll spice things up by having the Patriots deal their first-round pick to Cleveland for none other than Odell Beckham Jr.,” Brinson said in his article.
Brinson said the trade for Beckham never worked out for the Browns as he struggled connecting with second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield. Beckham caught just 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns from Mayfield as the Browns failed to make the playoffs despite high expectations.
Brinson believes that Browns' head coach Kevin Stefanski will try to fix everything, but Cleveland would love to cut its losses by acquiring a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Patriots, for their part, could turn to the free-agent market for additional help at wide receiver or part ways with their first-round pick in return for a talented wideout in Beckham. The talented wideout could also entice Brady to sign a fresh deal with the Patriots as they dream of playing together. It was rumored that the wanted to acquire Beckham before last season’s trade deadline, but the Browns refused.
Harry expected to have a breakout year
Field Yates of ESPN predicted that Harry is expected to have a breakout season in his second year in the league. Much was expected from last year’s No. 32 overall pick but he missed the first 10 games of the season. He returned in Week 11 and finished his rookie year with 12 catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns for the Patriots. “I’m a firm believer he’ll look like a stud in 2020,” Yates said in his assessment of Harry.
