The New England Patriots need to upgrade their wide receiver room with young, talented veterans that can really space the field and be a true No. 1 option for the offense. This needs to happen while starting quarterback Drake Maye is still on his rookie contract and playing at an MVP level.
With Mike Vrabel turning the team around in his first year as head coach to lead them to the Super Bowl, and with Maye being the MVP runner-up in just his second season, New England has become a legitimate free agent destination once again. They need to take advantage of this window while in it.
The two big offensive playmaker additions last season were veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. They were able to provide the type of leadership that boded well with what Vrabel wanted for the culture he was trying to establish in his first year. However, both of their contracts are essentially one-year deals, with both having non-guaranteed contracts for 2026, according to Spotrac.
The Patriots can move on from Diggs’ $20.6 million due to him in 2026 with a potential out that would only cost $9.7 million in dead cap. There’s also the potential out with Hollins that would turn his $3.9 million into only $750,000 in dead money on the cap. Not to mention that Diggs and Hollins will be 33 years old once the 2026 campaign begins, it might be the right time to move on from both of them while it’s still relatively flexible to do so.
Here are four free agent wide receivers that the Patriots should target this offseason.
1. Romeo Doubs (6’2”, 26 Years Old)
Romeo Doubs has been one of the top receivers for the Green Bay Packers since he was drafted in the fourth round in 2022, but the wide receiver room is overflowing at Lambeau Field, and it’s time for Doubs to test out free agency for the first time in his career.
Since turning pro, Doubs has 202 receptions for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns, ranking in the top-20 in the NFL in that span. Doubs may not be considered one of the league's elite receivers, but he’s a big-time producer when he's on the field, especially in the red zone, where he’s caught 12 touchdowns from inside the 10-yard line since 2022.
This past season, Doubs led the Packers in receiving with 55 receptions on 85 targets for 724 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games. What stuck out to me about his performance this past year is that 41 of his 55 catches resulted in first downs, and he averaged 13.2 yards per reception. He’s improved and increased his production over the last four years, making him a commodity this offseason.
It’s worth mentioning that Doubs is 6'2" and would instantly become the tallest receiver on the Patriots’ roster if they were to move on from Hollins (6'4"). This is important to keep in mind as Maye was criticized for not having too much success targeting receivers with a smaller catch radius this season. Doubs is the opposite of that with his 32 ¼-inch arm length and 77.37-inch wingspan.
One last note on the Patriots targeting Doubs, GM Eliot Wolf started his career with the Packers, spending 14 years in the front office. This is not to mention growing up around the facility as a child when his father, Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf, who rebuilt the Packers during the 1990s, transformed them into a winning organization. It’s a fair assumption that Doubs is on Wolf’s radar as he’s a first-time free agent.
2. George Pickens (6’3”, 25 Years Old)
The Patriots need a legitimate explosive playmaker on the outside to pair with their MVP-caliber quarterback. George Pickens could be the perfect piece to the puzzle as he’s set to be a free agent for the first time in his career. He’s in line for a huge payday, and it’s well deserved as he can be a true No. 1 option for an offense.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Pickens in the second round in 2022, and he was everything that you’d expect and want from a wide receiver. In the first three years, he made 174 receptions for 2,841 yards and scored 12 touchdowns while playing with a variety of different quarterbacks. In 2024, after the Steelers lost in the wild-card round, Pickens wanted to be traded, and he got his wish, being sent to the Dallas Cowboys.
In his first season with the Cowboys, Pickens finally had a veteran quarterback to control the team, resulting in the wideout enjoying a breakout year, finishing with 93 receptions for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns, while also converting 73 first downs. In only one season with Dallas, Pickens nearly scored as many touchdowns (9) as he did in three years with Pittsburgh (12).
The Cowboys intend to use the franchise tag on Pickens for 2026, which is projected to be $28,037,000, according to Spotrac. It would be surprising if they didn’t use the tag on him, but at the same time, Dallas has a growing reputation for not always paying their best players.
If Pickens becomes available, then the Patriots should be interested in signing him. His resume speaks for itself, and the way he broke out in his first season on a new team is enticing.
3. Wan’Dale Robinson (5’8”, 25 Years Old)
Wan’Dale Robinson probably isn’t at the top of many teams' list as a must-sign free agent, but his production over the last two years cannot be overlooked. He has 185 receptions on 280 targets in that time, ranking seventh and sixth, respectively, in the NFL since 2024.
Robinson wouldn’t bring in any additional height (5-foot-8), but he’s a possession receiver who can help move the team down the field. He wouldn’t be the No. 1 option, but Robinson would be a great addition to help upgrade the position.
It’s worth noting that DeMario Douglas looked to have this role solidified, but that’s not how it played out last season. The potential addition of Robinson wouldn’t impact players like Kayshon Boutte or Hollins, as they play a different role on offense.
Robinson likely wouldn’t demand the large free agent contract that some of the more prominent receivers in his position will be expecting this offseason, which might be a factor for New England depending on how they approach the offseason with their spending.
4. A.J. Brown (6’1”, 29 Years Old)
Now that the season is over, it’s worth reiterating that veteran wide receiver A.J. Brown remains unhappy with his situation with the Philadelphia Eagles, making for an uncertain future in the City of Brotherly Love. The relationship Brown has with Vrabel is well known, going back to when Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans and drafted him in the second round in 2019. Vrabel was instrumental in developing Brown into the star receiver he is, and it was a critical factor in the falling out between Vrabel and the Titans.
Perhaps this is finally the time for Vrabel to reunite with his star receiver now that he’s back calling the shots for a team that he just led to the Super Bowl. The Patriots also have plenty of cap space and tradable assets to send the Eagles a trade package that might be too hard for them to decline. Vrabel has firsthand experience working with Brown and knows that a player of his caliber will propel his already MVP-caliber QB to a new level next season.