Patriots could get their chance to sign Belichick loved WR

The Patriots’ search for more wide receiver depth maintains its consistency as the most discussed part of the team’s offseason this year.

Now that the Cardinals have announced they’ll be releasing veteran Chosen Anderson, formerly known as Robbie/Robby, Bill Belichick will finally have a shot at signing his once-desired player.

It was reported last season that Belichick had inquired about trading for Anderson when he was with the Panthers, but apparently, that wasn’t the only time. Anderson revealed that Belichick had tried to convince him to sign with the Patriots in 2020 when he was a free agent, which inevitably never happened.

"“When I was in free agency, when (Belichick) tried to get me to sign there, he was like, ‘I’m tired of scheming against you. I’m tired of going against you.”"

Belichick might still be interested in bringing the receiver to Foxboro, considering their current need for receivers and his favorability of veterans at that position. But Anderson is also coming off the worst season of his career, totaling just 20 receptions for 282 yards and one touchdown in 16 games spent with the Panthers and Cardinals.

Despite the down year, it’s hard to overlook his stats for the 2020 season; 95 receptions for 1,096 yards and three touchdowns. It may not be exactly what the Patriots need to improve their offense dramatically, but Anderson seems like the type of player that Belichick would bring in and work out, at least through the preseason.

At the same time, however, Anderson is similarly built to Tyquan Thornton, who the Patriots just drafted last year. They’re both tall and slim players used in the same ways within an offense. So adding Anderson may seem counterproductive when they already have a player on the roster with the same attributes, especially one that’s barely costing the team any money on a rookie contract.