While it is pretty clear that the Patriots could use an upgrade in the wide receiver room, and that the team attempted to do so this offseason by inserting itself into a trade conversation for Brandon Aiyuk and with its near-miss pursuit of free-agent receiver Calvin Ridley, it’s also clear that it is pointless to evaluate the set of pass-catchers already on the roster as long as the rest of the offense does not change.
There is a terrible offensive line on hand. Pass protection is a rare commodity. Combine that with the fact that there is a good backup quarterback (Jacoby Brissett) but well below average starter who is taking snaps under center, and there just is no passing game to judge here.
The Patriots have 71 targets on the stat sheet. Only 32 have gone to wide receivers. In all, the team’s receivers have just 21 catches in three games. By comparison, NFL receptions leader Cooper Kupp has 18 receptions in two games.
Seems a bit misguided at this point for the Patriots to consider trades for wide receivers. But at ESPN, insider Dan Graziano has the Patriots pegged as a potential trade partner for a notably talented, if sometimes wayward pass-catcher, Diontae Johnson.
Diontae Johnson Traded From Steelers After Last Year
In a post titled, “2024 NFL trade deadline: Top candidates to move, team fits,” Graziano highlighted Johnson as a top receiver possibly on the move as the never-ending Carolina Panthers rebuild trudges on. And he pegged the Patriots as the top team fit.
At his best, Johnson is a No. 1 receiver on most teams, a guy who racked up 107 catches and 1,161 yards during his Pro Bowl season in 2021 with the Steelers. There’s also no doubt why the Steelers traded him to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson and a pick swap.
Johnson’s willingness to run routes with conviction, block and give full effort has been a problem throughout his career, and was enough of a headache for Pittsburgh that the Steelers simply wanted to be rid of him. Johnson is in the final year of a two-year, $37 million contract he signed with the Steelers.
Wrote Graziano: “Johnson was traded from Pittsburgh to Carolina this offseason. He’s 28 years old, averaged 873 yards per season with the Steelers and is making a mere $7 million this year, in the final year of his contract. If you pick him up halfway through the season, you’re paying $3.5 million for a receiver with a solid track record. If Johnson’s production benefits from the switch to Dalton at quarterback in Carolina, he could be the steal of the deadline.”
Patriots Need OL Help More Than Anything
But again, if the Patriots are not making a move for offensive line help, the idea of trading for a receiver seems to fall in the category of putting the cart before the horse. The Patriots could use Johnson, and maybe a trade for him now, followed by a team-friendly extension, would be a smart long-term investment.
Johnson is 28, and may well have good years ahead of him. His locker-room issues, though, make him a suspect addition to a delicate young roster. He was dubbed a, “locker-room troublemaker,” after his trade from Pittsburgh.
Wrote Graziano: “Exceptionally thin at the offensive skill positions, the Pats were in on the Brandon Aiyuk talks when that was a thing. If New England’s defense can keep things afloat, it could make sense to make a move for Johnson and sign him long-term.”
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