Davante Adams, Chris Godwin and Mike Williams entered this offseason considered the top three receivers set to hit the free agent market. All three now are off the board, potentially to the dismay of New England Patriots fans.
Adams and Godwin were among eight players who received the franchise tag ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, returning to the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively. Williams, on the other hand, landed a three-year, $60 million deal to return to the Los Angeles Chargers. All of this happened less than a day after Calvin Ridley, a popular name on the Patriots rumor mill, received an indefinite suspension for gambling on NFL games.
New England likely wouldn't have been serious players Adams, Godwin or Williams, but it nevertheless must look elsewhere to improve at receiver this offseason.
So, what next for the Patriots?
There still are big-name free agents projected to be available next Wednesday, including Allen Robinson and Odell Beckham Jr. And New England should have plenty of options available on the bargain market.
However, a trade for someone like Robby Anderson -- or, perhaps, Tyler Lockett -- now might be the most realistic path for the Patriots to take as they look to bolster the Mac Jones-led offense.
