The New England Patriots are still coming down from their upset victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. But the next step for Mike Vrabel’s team is figuring out how they can become a legitimate contender. With a 3-2 record, the goal of a playoff berth and potentially more is within reach, and it could lead to an addition to the roster that could help them get to that place.
If the Patriots choose to go that route, upgrading the wide receiver room is a priority, and they may have an under-the-radar target in Treylon Burks. A former first-round pick by the Tennessee Titans when Vrabel was the head coach, Burks’s time with the team was put on thin ice when he broke his collarbone during training camp.
After NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Burks had been cleared for all football activities on Monday, Burks was released on Tuesday, according to Titans insider Jim Wyatt. Now free to sign with any team he chooses, a reunion with Vrabel is on the cards, and the Patriots would be wise to bring him in.
Patriots Could Bring in Treylon Burks After Titans Release
The Patriots' receiver room has been a topic of discussion dating all the way back to the offseason. Stefon Diggs has been a shrewd signing that is getting better with each week that he is removed from a torn ACL suffered with the Houston Texans last October, grabbing 29 passes for 359 yards, including a 10-catch, 146-yard performance in Sunday’s win.
But outside of Diggs, nobody has been able to step up. The Patriots released Kendrick Bourne and traded Ja’Lynn Polk to the New Orleans Saints earlier in the year, and their next leading receiver is Kayshon Boutte, who has 13 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown.
To put into context, tight end Hunter Henry (17) and running backs TreVeyon Henderson (15) and Rhamondre Stevenson (13) have had the same or more receptions as Boutte, and Henry has more yards (250) while leading the team with three receiving touchdowns.
New England could hit the trade market for a viable No. 2 receiver, but you could argue that depth is just as important, and that’s where Burks comes in.
Burks had a notable role in his two seasons with Vrabel, catching 49 passes for 665 yards and a touchdown in 22 games. While he was given the undesirable task of replacing A.J. Brown in Tennessee, he also suffered several injuries, including a concussion in 2022 and a sprained LCL and broken collarbone in 2023.
With the added challenge of dealing with asthma, Burks had plenty of obstacles and never broke through under the current head coach Brian Callahan. But with his familiarity with Vrabel, the Patriots could give him another chance in the NFL and perhaps give New England another pass catcher they need to compete.