The New England Patriots could be in the market for some wide receiver help this off-season. Their offense could use an infusion of talent after what was a disappointing season overall for the offense under the eyes of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
Having Bill O’Brien back in the mix is a good start to turning things around. He has experience on that side of the ball and the lack of experience that Patricia and Judge had shown plenty in 2022. Having some more talent around Mac Jones would also help.
New England has two key wide receivers set to hit free agency this offseason, Jakob Meyers and Nelson Agholor. The future of Kendrick Bourne is also up in the air as trade rumors swirled around him ahead of the deadline in November.
The Patriots have been linked to DeAndre Hopkins and he would be a huge upgrade for this offseason. Jones would certainly help from having a bonafide No. 1 receiver to target. But, if he proves too costly or another team swoops in, the Patriots should pivot to a familiar face in Brandin Cooks.
Cooks was made available ahead of the deadline as well but the Houston Texans’ asking price was too high for anyone to stomach. His contract would also prove difficult to absorb in the middle of the season, but an offseason deal would be easier to navigate.
2022 was a struggle for Cooks as the Texans played some bad football throughout the season. He had arguably the worst campaign of his career, catching 57 passes for 699 yards and three touchdowns, as the quarterback position, and offense overall was a mess. That could knock down the asking price, which New England can take advantage of.
Turning 30 in September, the Oregon State product should have some productive seasons left in him. Ahead of the deadline, Houston was seeking a second-round pick for Cooks. New England should see if they would bite on a third and one of their multiple sixths as the veteran receiver has made it clear he wants to move on.
The Patriots would hope that acquiring him would help him get back on track. In 2017, his lone season in New England, Cooks caught 65 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. His 16.6 yards per reception that season was a career-high.
