New England Patriots: Robert Woods Predicted as Top Free Agent Target
By Nick Ziegler
With NFL free agency nearly here, the New England Patriots have recently been predicted to target wide receiver Robert Woods.
Recently, we have seen the that the New England Patriots appear to be interested in acquiring a wide receiver this offseason.
In the past few days, we have seen them try to acquire Brandin Cooks from the New Orleans Saints. Seeing the Patriots try to acquire a wide receiver like Cooks was rather shocking. However, it’s a clear indication that they are looking to improve at the position.
Recently, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com predicted that the Patriots target Robert Woods of the Buffalo Bills. Here’s what Reiss had to say about Woods.
"The Patriots have several internal free agents to re-sign, but let’s go with a player from another team for this one. In 2016, the Patriots signed Chris Hogan from Buffalo, and it soon became clear how catching passes from Tom Brady maximized the potential of a player who had been relegated to third on the Bills’ depth chart. The 6-foot, 190-pound Woods, who is one of the NFL’s better route-runners at the position, falls into the same category. If he was coming from an offense that featured better quarterback play, he’d be rated much higher. — Mike Reiss"
If Reiss is right with his prediction, Woods would be another wide receiver signed from the Bills. In 13 games last season, Woods totaled 51 receptions, 613 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. While the number don’t jump off the page, the Bills’ offense wasn’t one that featured the pass frequently.
Even though his numbers weren’t great, Woods was graded fairly well by Pro Football Focus. With a 73.2 overall grade, Woods was graded better than Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, and even Brandon Marshall, who the Patriots might be interested in.
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With a lot of players to re-sign, Woods likely wouldn’t cost the Patriots a lot of money. At just 24-years-old, adding Woods to the Patriots’ offense would be a solid addition.