With rumors swirling that the New England Patriots have interest in high profile free agent A.J. Green, here are three reasons why he is not a fit.
One of the big free agent prizes this offseason will be Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green and the New England Patriots are linked to him for various reasons.
A recent article by Bleacher Report actually has the Patriots as the best landing spot for Green mostly due to his leadership ability to go along with his production on the field when health.
So, along with needing a top receiver, why would Bill Belichick pay big bucks for A.J. Green in free agency?
First and foremost, Green is an established receiver in the league who is still in his prime and hungry to win. Though he didn’t play at all in 2019, Green has over 1,000 yards receiving in six of his eight seasons with the Bengals. One of those two seasons he didn’t, he came close with 964 yards receiving.
That is some prime production for a player who has mostly caught the ball from Andy Dalton. Now, imagine what he can do with a quarterback like Tom Brady even at the age of 42.
Speaking of Brady, that is another reason the Patriots have been linked to A.J. Green. With what the 31-year old can bring to the table, signing him could persuade Brady to stick around.
But, is it really that simple?
While Green has proven to be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL over the past five seasons, there are reasons he may not be a fit and here are three of them.
Durability
The New England Patriots were linked to A.J. Green around the NFL Trade Deadline, but an ankle injury that sidelined the star receiver for the entire 2019 season put those rumors to rest.
So, is it worth paying top dollars for a 31-year-old receiver who will be spending the offseason rehabbing that ankle?
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Knowing Bill Belichick, he will use A.J. Green’s recovery as a reason to not offer as much as some other team unless there is no reserve about his ankle or any other injury going into the 2020 season.
Besides the ankle injury, history is on Green’s side as he has played 10 or more games in every season except 2019 and 2018 when he played in just 9 games. Those last two seasons are the concern.
With his age, healing and recovery takes a bit longer, but A.J. Green did get some encouraging news from his doctor about the effect of that ankle injury on his future.
"“I feel good just getting confirmation from him. Knowing there’s no effect on my future,” Green said, via Bengals.com. “I never thought it would be that bad that I could never play at a high level. Just hearing him saying it made me feel a lot better.”"
The million (s) dollar question is whether other teams will still view A.J. Green as a top-level wide receiver. Or, will he have to take less on a shorter deal to prove his value once again? That may be where the New England Patriots swoop in.
However, unless it’s a cheaper deal, the Patriots should focus their attention towards a receiver not coming off a season-ending injury.
As good as A.J Green may look catching the ball from Tom Brady, the New England Patriots should try to upgrade the position while getting younger.
Julian Edelman is over 30, Mohamed Sanu is over 30 and adding A.J. Green would give the team another wide receiver over 30. If Green still has it, age will not deter the Patriots from going after him, but recent veteran receivers who have come to New England haven’t fared so well.
Take away Antonio Brown’s one-game stint and most of those receivers didn’t even play a regular-season game for the Patriots.
Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Reggie Wayne all come to mind. Though all of those players were a bit more past their prime than Green is, the Patriots system seemed to break those players either into retirement or onto another team in the case of Thomas.
But, for each of those players there is a Randy Moss who rejuvenated his career catching the ball from Tom Brady and playing under the guidance of Bill Belichick. After not playing at all in 2019, perhaps that is the hope everyone has when linking A.J. Green to the New England Patriots.
With what the team had surrounding Brady in 2019, no one is going to turn their nose up if Green signs, but the focus should be on getting younger at that position
Toughness
To sum this all up, a main reason why A.J. Green may not be the best fit for the New England Patriots is his mental toughness.
Along with the All-Pro numbers, is A.J. Green a receiver who can easily be taken out of a game by the opposing team’s top defensive backs?
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Again, the numbers say otherwise, but how many big pressure playoff games has Green played with over his eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals? When he does play in those games, does he disappear?
Though the same was said about Demaryius Thomas, going after an A.J. Green as the team’s No. 1 receiver has to mean the Patriots see him as more than a silent leader. With young players like N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers on the team, Green could be even more of an asset if he makes those big plays in big games.
When the pressure is on and Tom Brady needs someone to get open, will and can A.J. Green be that man who finds openings even in double coverage?
Those are the types of offensive weapons the Patriots need, especially on the outside.
To show a player like A.J. Green the money, they have to know he will be better at the age of 32 than what they have in N’Keal Harry going into his second NFL season.
In summary, Green would be a great addition. But, the New England Patriots to find the value in him now versus what he was in seasons past.
Then again, all teams pursuing him will be in that predicament.