NFL analyst says “irrelevant” Patriots NEED to sign this top receiver

It has been an official week since the start of free agency in the NFL, and the conversations surrounding the Patriots have progressively become more negative. It’s nothing new, of course, but it seems like Bill Belichick can’t do anything right in the eyes of those who cover football.

Despite what the naysayers believe about New England’s moves thus far, the players they have added to the team or retained with re-signings are significant. They may not be the flashiest names nor the most desirable, but what Belichick has done to this point is typical of what we’ve seen him do over the years.

Then there are the rumors regarding the receivers the Patriots have been connected to in recent weeks, including Odell Beckham Jr., who is currently a free agent. Although it has been heavily reported New England has been making calls to inquire about trades to teams around the league, they still haven’t done enough to some.

Former Patriots’ guard turned NFL analyst Damien Woody shared his thoughts on the team’s moves so far, referring to them as irrelevant and not a competitive team in the ever-evolving AFC East.

"“How about the damn New England Patriots? Hello! Have we heard anything from the Patriots? The Patriots are floating on just being irrelevant. No one is talking about the Patriots.Look in the division, everybody is loading up making moves. You got the Jets with Aaron Rodgers, you see what Miami is doing, you got the Buffalo Bills still king of the division. And here are the New England Patriots making chump-change moves out here. Y’all need to do something — I’ve been talking about trading for (DeAndre Hopkins), OBJ (Beckham), hell, you need make something because right now what you’re trotting out there on the field ain’t going to be good enough. Not with the players going on in the AFC East right now. They need to make a move and they needed to make it yesterday.”"

His overall point is not wrong, especially considering how far the division has come in the last few years. It has morphed from the “easiest” division in the league to probably the hardest in a short period of time, and the Patriots need to make moves to keep up if they want to get back to their winning ways.

Because the receivers they have reportedly prioritized acquiring this offseason are still available, assuming they won’t do anything just one week after free agency began is a bit absurd. There is still time to get something done, so don’t lose all hope just yet.