Six Wide Receivers Patriots Could Target After Julio Jones Trade

Julio Jones will not be joining the New England Patriots this season. But if the Patriots are looking to add another body to their receiving corps, there are a few notable names still available.

With Jones — the biggest name on the NFL wideout market — moving from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tennessee Titans in a trade Sunday, here’s a look at some veteran free agents who have yet to find new teams:

Golden Tate
Tate turns 33 this summer and is coming off one of the least productive seasons of his career, tallying 35 catches for 388 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games for Joe Judge’s New York Giants. Judge, a former Patriots assistant, also benched Tate for one game following an argument over playing time. New England has been linked to Tate in the past, however, reportedly making a push to sign him two years ago.

Dede Westbrook
Westbrook tore his ACL last October, ending his season. Earlier last fall, he sat out multiple games as a healthy scratch. One year after posting a respectable 66-660-3 receiving line for Jacksonville, he made just two appearances for the Jaguars in 2020, catching one pass for 4 yards.

Alshon Jeffery
Injuries have ravaged the former Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears standout in recent years, sidelining him for three games in 2018, six in 2019 and nine in 2020. The 31-year-old caught just six passes in seven appearances last season.

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Danny Amendola
Amendola was an important offensive contributor during his five seasons with New England, and he’s continued to post solid numbers since leaving (575, 678 and 602 receiving yards in the last three years). But after his explosive take on the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady debate during the most recent Super Bowl week, there’s a good chance neither side has much interest in a reunion.

Larry Fitzgerald
The soon-to-be 38-year-old Fitzgerald has yet to announce whether he plans to retire or return for an 18th NFL season. The Arizona Cardinals legend took on a reduced role in recent years, catching 54 passes for 409 yards and one touchdown in 2020.

Kenny Stills
The 29-year-old Stills was a moderately productive slot target as recently as 2019 (40-561-4 in 13 games for Houston), but he caught just 11 passes in 10 games last season and was cut in late November.

The Patriots did add one receiver last week, signing free agent Marvin Hall. The 28-year-old Hall joined a depth chart that features Nelson Agholor, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne, N’Keal Harry, Gunner Olszewski, Isaiah Zuber, Kristian Wilkerson, Devin Smith and seventh-round rookie Tre Nixon.

New England never showed serious interest in trading for the high-priced Jones, according to multiple reports Monday.