The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers and took a big step forward, but they still have urgent needs to tend to. With the NFL trade deadline approaching rapidly, we take a look at the biggest needs for this team.
The New England Patriots are in Year 2 of the post-Tom Brady world that was eventually going to confront them at some point. It came last year, and the organization had to brace for the turbulence of a difficult future.
While the Patriots definitely seem to have found their quarterback of the future in Mac Jones, there are still other areas this team needs to address if the Pats want to make the NFL playoffs in 2021. At the 2021 NFL trade deadline, they do have a shot at 4-4 in the AFC, which truly seems up for grabs.
Let’s take a look at what the Patriots need to make the playoffs, in the form of an equation-changing transaction at the NFL trade deadline.
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Patriots 2021 NFL Trade Deadline Need
Wide Receiver
The biggest area of need for the Patriots is a primary wideout.
In the offseason, the Patriots signed two free agent receivers they hoped would be more productive than they have been: Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Somehow, someway, Jakobi Meyers is the leading receiver on the Patriots with 427 yards on 45 receptions. Not only is he the leading receiver, but he has been targeted 68) more than Agholor (42) and Bourne (35).
One potential name the Patriots could bring in to add to the offense is a former New England player, Brandin Cooks.
He spent time with the Patriots in 2017. He is a very curious case. Call him a productive player, but not on an absolute scale. He is productive on a relative basis and in a specific context: He puts up solid numbers for a guy who gets traded and released as often as he does without having off-field problems. He has over 1,000 yards receiving in five of his eight NFL seasons and has almost 600 receiving yards in 2021. If he gets traded to New England, he would be the Pats' new leading receiver by over 150 yards.
Another name to keep an eye on is Allen Robinson from the Chicago Bears. Allen Robinson’s time in Chicago appears to be done, and it wouldn’t shock anyone if Robinson wanted to be freed from Matt Nagy and his bizarre offensive decisions. The Patriots could scoop him up and give Mac Jones a shiny new weapon to work with.
The Patriots also have a need at cornerback, and that point shouldn't be dismissed or ignored in all of this. The Pats lost Jonathan Jones for the season last week. Their No. 2 corner, Jalen Mills, is not working out and there are question marks about his overall fit with the team and what New England wants to accomplish on defense. There is a discussion to be had about meeting that particular need and finding someone who can immediately step in and contribute. Threading the needle with a transaction which meets this particular need will be difficult, but doing something because it's hard is something Bill Belichick and the Pats are used to doing. They shouldn't shy away from this pursuit if they have the chance to make a good trade.
Yet, let's step back from the cornerback spot and deal with the bigger picture. Giving Mac Jones help matters most. Jones didn't beat Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Sunday so much as Bill Belichick did. Helping Jones has to remain the Pats' top priority at the 2021 NFL trade deadline. Giving Mac a new receiver has to be the first point of emphasis in Foxborough.
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