NFL Rumors: New England Patriots To Pursue Andre Johnson?

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, wide receiver Andre Johnson is not happy with the Houston Texans, and is now looking to jump ship.

Will the New England Patriots attempt to trade for Johnson? Marc Sessler thinks so:

"Cap space is limited, but New England makes plenty of sense. With Tom Brady in the final stages of his career, wrangling a true No. 1 pass-catcher would fill a genuine roster need and give Johnson a chance at the Super Bowl. We doubt Houston would have interest in shopping the wideout to an AFC power, but coach Bill O’Brien‘s friendship with Bill Belichick might help."

As Sessler mentions, the Pats don’t have a ton of money, but if they could make this work, I think it makes perfect sense for both sides. Tom Brady has a good amount of talent to throw to in 2014, but if Johnson were added to the mix, forget about it. He is a proven outside threat in this league, and his presence on this team would open up another dimension for this offense.

With Johnson on the outside, Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola on the inside, and Rob Gronkowski wreaking havoc everywhere, Brady’s bunch would be one of, if not the most dangerous group in the NFL.

Andre Johnson is getting up there in age, but his production does not seem to be slowing down. In five of the last six seasons, he has amassed at least 1,200 yards receiving. And the only reason he didn’t gain this much in 2011, was because of an injury that held him out of nine games.

I don’t know if the Patriots are going to look into this, but I really think they should. They need an outside threat to take the top off of the defense, as that is the one missing link in this offensive attack. There would be too many weapons for opposing defenses to deal with if Johnson were brought in, which would increase the chances of Tom Brady acquiring that elusive fourth ring.

We will keep you posted on this situation as it develops.