Another one bit the dust for the New England Patriots in their pursuit of free agent wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
The outcome of the anticipated Kupp sweepstakes sounds like a broken record at this point to fans in New England. The Patriots were in the mix with multiple teams, and despite having the money to spend, they came out of the negotiations empty-handed.
Fans can argue until they’re blue in the face in regards to whether Kupp was worth a bloated contract, assuming that was the hang-up. That doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that veteran wideout Mack Hollins has been the only upgrade made at receiver to this point.
Is the plan to continue trotting quarterback Drake Maye out on the field with one of the worst receiving corps in the league and simply hoping it gets better under coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels?
That better not be the case.
The truth is the Patriots aren’t done working on the roster. There are still other opportunities for them to improve at their skilled positions in the offseason through free agency, trades and the 2025 NFL draft.
They could always add an experienced veteran to pair with a draft pick at the position. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Brandin Cooks, Elijah Moore and Tyler Lockett are all still available.
The Patriots own the No. 4 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft, which could be used to take either Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter or Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan. They could also use their high second-round pick to trade back up late in the first round to snag Texas’ Matthew Golden or Missouri’s Luther Burden III.
The opportunity is still there to surround Maye with a better cast of talent. It’s important to remember this offseason race is a marathon and not a sprint.
