The Patriots are undergoing many changes again this offseason. They have welcomed their third head coach in as many seasons and have a lot of improving to do from the top to the bottom of the organization. New head coach Mike Vrabel is continuing the search to fill out his staff in New England, but once that's settled, it will be time to look ahead to free agency and address the Patriots' biggest needs.
The offense will inevitably be treated as the priority, mainly due to finally having a capable quarterback under center with Drake Maye, and surrounding him with the kind of talent he not only needs but deserves is already something Vrabel has spoken about. That means signing, trading or drafting the best wide receiver they can will be near the top of the list.
The name receiving the most hype has been Tee Higgins, who is set to test the free agent market for the first time in his career. The Patriots have been connected to the Bengals receiver for the last two years and will have the chance to bring him to Foxboro this spring.
But some other options have also been mentioned, mainly since Vrabel was hired last week. That has prompted chatter regarding a possible trade with former Titans' WR A.J. Brown, who Vrabel never wanted traded out of Tennessee and hasn't looked the happiest with the Eagles recently.
While that plan sounds great in theory, given how impressive Brown continues to be, it seems more unlikely than probable that Philadelphia would trade him, which brings another name into the mix from the NFC West.
The Rams might decide to move on from Cooper Kupp, which gives the Patriots the chance to sign him
If the Patriots lose out on Higgins and the trade for Brown is shut down, as expected, the Rams might gift them another target to potentially sign in Cooper Kupp.
The 31-year-old has been a massive part of the Rams' offensive success since he joined the team in 2017 and, was quarterback Matthew Stafford's favorite and most trusted pass catcher for many years. That has changed since Puka Nacua was drafted last year, and he has taken the snaps from Kupp because of that.
With that in mind and the Rams' early exit from the playoffs last weekend, Kupp was asked about continuing his career, which he plans to do. However, he let it be known he wasn't sure if that would be with his longtime team, presumably opening the door for the Patriots to get the receiver they've long needed.
"Who knows what's going to happen. That's out of my control. And we will see what it's going to be. ... I don't have any clarity on what that's going to look like or anything like that. So yeah, obviously would love to be in L.A., but I don't know what that's going to look like."
Read More: Mike Vrabel now has the chance to put together perfect Patriots offseason
It could be a dream scenario for Vrabel and the new regime, especially if Kupp is released. He has two years left on his contract after signing an extension in 2022 with just $5 million guaranteed for the 2025 season.
The Rams could cut him with a post-June 1 designation, they will save $15 million in cap space and only take on $7.52 in dead cap. That would be their best decision if moving on from Kupp is what they want to do unless they'd like to explore trading him in hopes of receiving some sort of compensation.
No matter what they do, the Patriots have no excuse not to check in about his availability and should not refrain from looking into signing him. He would be the instant boost the receiving corps needs while also adding a lot of experience and solid leadership to an otherwise young roster.