With Josh Gordon gone, the Antonio Brown experiment only lasting one game and Rob Gronkowski seemingly content with staying retired, the Patriots desperately need some offensive weapons to fit alongside Julian Edelman.
Whether Tom Brady decides to hang up the cleats after this season or not is irrelevant because regardless of who New England's next QB is, they'll need someone to throw the ball to.
Through 12 weeks, Edelman leads the Patriots with 76 receptions for 809 yards and four touchdowns. After him, there's a big drop off with running back James White ranking second on the team with 49 catches for 414 yards.
Now, the Patriots certainly aren't completely hopeless at receiver. 2019 first-round pick, N'Keal Harry has missed much of this season with injury. However, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound wideout scored his first touchdown of the season this week against the Cowboys and has all the physical tools and potential to be a dangerous weapon in the future.
Trading for veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu was a solid get for the Patriots as Sanu has been a consistent option throughout his eight-year career. At the same time, Sanu is better suited as a complementary piece and not a team's No. 1 or No. 2 receiver.
In comes Geronimo Allison. The fourth-year pro out of Illinois has spent his career thus far as a secondary or tertiary option for Aaron Rodgers behind the likes of Davante Adams and Jordy Nelson. And while Allison has yet to make a significant impact in the league, the 6-foot-3 receiver is still early in his career and given the right opportunity, could evolve into a more consistent option.
Pairing Allison with Harry, Sanu and undrafted rookie Jakobi Meyers would give the Patriots big options as all four are over 6-foot-2 while also maintaining faster, slot guys like Edelman, White and Phillip Dorsett to create more balance in the passing game.
Allison isn't the most talented wideout out there but the former undrafted wideout has proven he has a place in the NFL and can contribute on a team early in his career.
Whether it's Brady or another QB who lines up for the Patriots next season, adding as many weapons for that quarterback to work with will only benefit the Patriots offense.
Bill Belichick and the Patriots have a bit of a reputation for getting the most out of players and if anyone can develop a receiver that has yet eclipse 350 yards and two touchdowns in a single season into a star, it'll probably be the team in Foxborough.
Depending on how next year's draft shakes out and how well Harry develops in his second year, Allison seems like an excellent choice for a team that could use more contributors in the passing game all while being a low-risk option that the Patriots could get for relatively cheap.
This becomes even more evident if 2019 ends up being Brady's last year. Allison could become a safe option for whoever the next Patriots QB will be.
More receiving talent on the roster certainly won't hurt a team that might be going through a big transition at the NFL's most important position.
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