Patriots: 3 wide receivers Bill Belichick must avoid this offseason

All eyes will be on the New England Patriots this offseason to see who they bring in as Cam Newton’s replacement under center after they reportedly decided to let him test free agency following his inconsistent season under center in 2020.

While trading for an established star would give the Patriots the best chance to get back into the playoffs, signing a veteran on the cheap or selecting one of the top prospects in the first round of the draft would equip them with the flexibility to spend more money on their myriad of other roster blemishes.

When you consider that the Patriots are desperate for reinforcements at wide receiver, tight end, defensive end, and linebacker, it would probably behoove them to choose one of the latter two options. Speaking strictly in terms of the wide receiver position, there will be no shortage of options to choose from in free agency.

Like any free agent class, however, there are always a handful of red flags that competent organizations normally look to avoid. The same can be said for the 2021 WR class, so let’s attempt to highlight some names that the Patriots should cross off their shopping list of potential solutions at the position.

The Patriots should stay away from these three receivers this offseason.

3. TY Hilton

If they can help it, the Patriots tend to avoid breaking the bank to land a high-profile receiver, and that’s been evidenced by their numerous deals with veteran journeymen over the years. However, this offseason simply must be a different story, as 2020 breakout phenom Jakobi Meyers was really the only member of their WR corps that proved he deserves a future with the team.

That makes impending free agent TY Hilton a no-go in our books. While the longtime Colts star proved during the second half of the campaign that he still has the potential to be a No. 1 wideout at this stage of his career, his disappearing act for the first several games — he logged just one game over 60 receiving yards through Week 11 — indicated that he’d be better served as the second option of a passing attack.

Not to mention that he’ll turn 32 in the middle of next season, so for those who think the former third-round pick has enough gas left in the tank to be an elite receiver, it likely isn’t going to last much longer.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you that the Patriots should look elsewhere this offseason, Hilton has also missed time due to injury in each of the last three seasons. That included a stretch in 2019 when he was sidelined two separate times with lower leg injuries. For a player who relies so much on his trademark speed to create separation from defensive backs, that’s less- than ideal, and we seriously hope the Patriots don’t pursue him this offseason.