Just In: Top Offensive Weapons the Patriots Could Pursue in Free Agency

The Patriots want to weaponize what was the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense in 2023. Here are the best options left on the free agent market.

The Patriots were one of the league’s worst offenses last season, as evidenced by New England scoring the fewest points in the NFL and ranking towards the bottom of the league in nearly every significant metric.

De facto general manager Eliot Wolf seems keenly aware of this, as he told media members at the combine that the team has plans to weaponize that side of the ball this offseason. This is a good year to be a rebuilding offense, as the draft is loaded with talent at wide receiver, offensive tackle, and day-one quarterbacks. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about free agency.

As is typically the case this time of year, teams have made moves to keep higher-end talents off the open market. Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. each received franchise tags, while Mike Evans and Dalton Schultz signed extensions to stay with their teams for the foreseeable future. The Patriots could theoretically try acquiring Higgins or Pittman Jr. in a trade, but it might be wiser to spend that kind of capital on younger, cost-controlled players who offer more explosiveness or fewer injury concerns.

While there won’t be any top-tier skill players available, there are still a handful of players who could add an explosive element to the Patriots’ mostly plodding offense.

Here are the top out-of-house offensive free agents the Patriots could pursue in free agency. All contract projections courtesy of PFF’s Brad Spielberger.

WR Calvin Ridley (29 years old)

PFF Contract Projection: 3 years, $18.5 million/year

Head coach Jerod Mayo defined “weaponizing the offense” as getting players that the defense has to prepare for, using double-teams as an example. The Patriots haven’t had that kind of threat since Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, but Calvin Ridley may be the closest thing in this year’s free-agent class.

After stepping away from football in 2021 and serving a season-long gambling suspension in 2022, Ridley exploded back onto the scene with the second 1,000-yard season of his career.

As a 6’1″, 190 lber who can fly, Ridley is one of the few receivers available who offers both decent size and explosiveness. He’s a savvy route-runner who wastes no movement in his patterns and offers exceptional ball-tracking, concentration, and hands. Ridley also has positional versatility, showing the ability to win 1-on-1 and work the sideline as an X, capitalize on motion as a Z, or bump into the slot to create mismatches against slot corners.

The biggest concerns with Ridley are age and drops, although the latter became less of a problem after the first month of last season. He entered the league as a 23-year-old rookie, and he’s currently 29. That might be a scary proposition for a player who could demand north of $20 million as the clear #1 receiver on the market.

The Patriots will have to pay a premium for top free agents coming off a 4-13 season, but Ridley is one of the few players worth the tax. I might not be comfortable approaching the $25 million per year mark, but New England should do its best to outbid other interested parties for anything less.

WR Marquise Brown (26 years old)

PFF Contract Projection: 1 year, $12 million/year

There aren’t many 5’9″, 180 lb outside receivers in the NFL, and even fewer with a track record of success. Marquise “Hollywood” Brown has been one of the few mighty mites holding it down on the perimeter the past few seasons, and he’s the most dynamic receiver on the market after Ridley.

Brown lacks prototypical size, but he compensates with smooth releases, quickness in his routes, and speed to get behind defenses. He can also adjust to passes against tight coverage and make tough grabs with defenders all over him. Brown spent most of his time outside the numbers, but he’s also had success going downfield from the slot.

Inconsistent quarterback play has contributed to a depressed stat line, with his tape from last season showing several missed opportunities due to errant throws. And while the former Sooner has a reputation for drops, which picked up steam when he registered seven passes in 2020 and six in 2021, he’s only had three in each of the past two seasons.

Brown’s availability is a bit worrisome, as he finished last season on injured reserve and missed five games in 2022. His smaller frame is also an undeniable liability at times, allowing defenders to smother him at times and work through his body to contest passes.

The Patriots might not want two undersized receivers atop their depth chart with DeMario Douglas penciled in as the top slot receiver, especially considering both have an injury history. But there’s a steep drop-off in the wide receiver market after Ridley and Brown, so New England could try to make things work on a one-year prove-it deal that allows Brown to increase his value while giving the offense a versatile big play threat.

RB Saquon Barkley (27 years old)

PFF Contract Projection: 3 years, $12 million/year

The modern NFL doesn’t like to pay running backs, especially ones who’ve missed significant time due to injury. That said, Saquon Barkley isn’t like most running backs.

Barkley followed a 2022 Pro Bowl nod with a disappointing 2023 campaign, but he had to run behind a porous offensive line as one of the Giants’ only real threats. He’s still one of the league’s most creative and elusive backs, and he’s a big-play threat anytime the ball is in his hands.

Outside of the evergreen injury concerns that come with a relatively older back, Barkley’s biggest red flags are a pair of lost 4th-quarter fumbles and dropped five passes last season. But beyond those hiccups, he’s still the total package.

Regardless of talent level, paying $10+ million for a running back won’t sit well with everyone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Barkley is ultimately too rich for New England’s taste. There’s also the question of whether he’d be willing to serve in an Ezekiel Elliott-type role as a 1B behind established 1A Rhamondre Stevenson. But we know Alex Van Pelt likes to run the ball and use skill players in a multitude of ways, which could be enticing for Barkley if the price is right.

WR Darnell Mooney (26 years old)

PFF Contract Projection: 1 year, $9 million/year

For the past few seasons, the Patriots have ranked near the bottom of the league in receiver separation, and the tape supports the stats. Outside of Jakobi Meyers, none of their wide receivers have managed to consistently get open against tight coverage. If New England wants a receiver who can create his own space and generate big plays but won’t break the bank, Darnell Mooney could be their guy.

Mooney hasn’t registered 500 yards in either of the past two seasons, but he was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021. And like Hollywood Brown, his stat lines have been significantly impacted by his quarterback situation. Mooney’s tape is full of reps where he gets open with savvy routes and physicality at the top of his stem but is thwarted by inaccurate or downright uncatchable passes. This led to visible frustration at times.

In addition to exceptional route-running, Mooney can make some jaw-dropping adjustments and catches, run through half-hearted tackle attempts, and quickly hit top speed to outrun coverage.

Mooney’s play did fall off towards the end of last season, resulting in three drops from Weeks 14-15 and multiple pass breakups. Despite moments of aggressiveness at the catch point, his skinny frame allows defenders to disrupt targets, and he doesn’t always work back to the ball to compensate. His lack of size also shows up as a run blocker, where he is a non-factor at times and a liability at others.

Mooney is far from perfect, but he’s undeniably explosive and might be the best separator on the market. His price could also be driven up due to a lack of quality free-agent options, which could price him outside of the Patriots’ comfort zone. But if Mooney can be had for under or right around $10 million, and Van Pelt is willing to scheme around his flaws, New England might be able to unearth the potential that’s been buried since 2022.

TE Noah Fant (26 years old)

PFF Contract Projection: 3 years, $9.5 million/year

It’s been a long, long time since the Patriots had a dynamic athlete at tight end. While Jonnu Smith came close, his stiff, unrefined route-running and poor catching technique led to a significantly diminished role before New England traded him for a seventh-rounder. With Dalton Schultz returning to Houston, Noah Fant is the most athletic and explosive option left at the position.

Fant admittedly hasn’t done much in his NFL career, in part due to playing in offenses that didn’t really feature tight ends as pass-catchers. Most players at his position also fail to break out until their second contracts, meaning he could be due for a breakout season.