The New England Patriots were one of the top spenders in free agency last offseason, and their Super Bowl appearance proved it was successful. Still, the roster is not complete, and if the Patriots want to repeat, they need to spend again.
WR is a position the Patriots need to upgrade, and former New York Giants playmaker Wan’Dale Robinson could be the perfect option.
New England Patriots Linked with WR Wan’Dale Robinson in Free Agency
The Patriots’ offense did not perform well in the Super Bowl. While the defense kept the team in the game, the offense found little to no consistency. Offensive line and blocking issues were the glaring reasons, but the WRs weren’t getting open enough either.
Even if QB Drake Maye had more time in the pocket, his options were limited. Already from that game, WR was a need for the offseason, but top weapon Stefon Diggs may also be released.
Diggs on the roster should not stop the Patriots from trying to find WRs this offseason, but releasing him would put the need near the top. The good news for the Patriots is that there are options throughout free agency, the draft, and the trade market.
Focusing on free agency, Sports Illustrated writer Matt Verderame predicted that the Patriots could be a landing spot for Robinson from the Giants, and here is what he had to say:
“Robinson enjoyed a breakout year, giving rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart a reliable target on the outside. With Malik Nabers out for most of the season with a torn ACL, Robinson stepped up, catching 92 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. Coming off his rookie deal, Robinson should get a sizable deal.”
As Verdareme mentioned, when standout WR Malik Nabers went down with his season-ending injury, Robinson was thrown into the WR1 role for the offense.
The issue is that Robinson is not a WR1 at this point, and in an offense, he is much better as the WR2 or paired with another high-level receiver.
In PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, Robinson was ranked 35th overall despite having the 7th most receptions. He is a slot receiver who can break out and deliver massive performances.
In the Patriots offense, Robinson could be a top option for Drake Maye, but relying on him to be WR1 could be a mistake. His touchdown production has never been great, with 10 TDs over his 4-year career and only 4 last season.
Adding Robinson to the Patriots, along with another WR who can be that WR1, would be the upgrade this team needs.
