5 free agent wide receivers the Patriots could sign this offseason

The Patriots have a lot of holes in their roster to fill this offseason, with even more as of Friday with the announcement of Devin McCourty’s retirement and Jake Bailey’s release. But one of the more prominent positions needing help remains their wide receivers.

They are fortunate partly because they are set to only have two pass-catchers from last season to hit free agency, Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers, and if they’re not going to re-sign either of them, there are still some solid players to choose from.

Bill Belichick and co. appear to be prioritizing the position even before free agency begins, as they were reportedly in attendance for Odell Beckham Jr.’s workout in Arizona while also expressing interest in DeAndre Hopkins via trade.

But if they hope to have an easier path to acquiring players, plenty of unrestricted free agents are already available.

Kenny Golladay

Maybe not the most popular of the group, primarily due to his incredibly underwhelming tenure with the New York Giants, it’s difficult to completely wipe out Kenny Golladay’s previous production with the Lions.

Because the Giants plan to release him before fulfilling his contract, the Patriots will get their chance at a once highly sought-after receiver much sooner than anticipated. His time in New York certainly does not excite any teams needing to improve their receiving corps, but that works in New England’s favor; it’s unlikely Golladay will pull in a similar contract to what he received during free agency in 2021.

We know how much Belichick loves to bring in players needing a second chance, a prove-it season, and signing Golladay would be just that. At 6-foot-4, he would bring the size the Patriots are currently lacking, and if he could return to the production and performance he showed early in his career, it could make him one of the sneakiest best signings of the Belichick era.