The biggest need for the New England Patriots coming into the 2023 offseason was upgrading the weapons on their offense. Part of the reason that Mac Jones faltered in his second season as the starting quarterback was his underwhelming supporting cast.
The Patriots dipped into free agency twice, signing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki. Both players are good fits for New England, as Smith-Schuster should slide seamlessly into the role vacated by Jakobi Meyers, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gesicki will help offset the loss of Jonnu Smith, who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
While those two will certainly help, it wouldn’t hurt to add some more options in the passing game. The Patriots have been linked to DeAndre Hopkins, who would be a big help and take over as the No. 1 option. New England is one of two teams, along with the Tennessee Titans, that Hopkins has narrowed his choices down to.
Even if the Patriots land Hopkins, they should still consider bringing in one more established player to ensure Jones has the best chance to succeed. If they lose out on him, it would be imperative to bring in another pass catcher.
Could Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos be someone that piques their interest? Sutton to New England was one of the shocking trades Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report put together that could shake up the 2023 playoff race.
What could a trade between the Patriots and Broncos look like? Moton suggested that New England send a 2024 second-round pick to Denver in exchange for the veteran wide receiver. A steep price has been set by the Broncos for their pass catchers, but this could get a deal done.
Denver has a plethora of wide receivers and should strongly consider making a deal centered around at least one of them. In this scenario, it is Sutton, who would be another year removed from his knee injury and could use a change of scenery to try and re-find his old form.
Before injuring his knee, Sutton was coming off a Pro Bowl sophomore season in which he looked like one of the best young receivers in the NFL. He hasn’t quite reached that height since, but the talent is certainly there.
He and Smith-Schuster would be a formidable duo for Jones in the passing game with complementary players in Tyquan Thornton, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker. Having capable weapons like that will open up the running game for Rhamondre Stevenson as well.
