Is this the year Chosen Anderson finally lands with the Patriots?
Anderson, who previously went by Robby and Robbie, was rumored as a possible trade target for New England last offseason. Two years before that, the Patriots made an unsuccessful push to sign the veteran receiver when he was a free agent, with Anderson claiming Bill Belichick said he was "tired of scheming against" him.
Well, Anderson is about to hit the market again. The Arizona Cardinals intend to release him to clear salary cap space, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
Any interest the Patriots had in Anderson might be extinguished after he managed just 20 catches on 44 targets for 282 yards and one touchdown this season across 16 games for the Cardinals and Panthers. The soon-to-be 30-year-old also had a rough 2021 campaign, posting a 48.2% catch rate that was third-worst among 208 qualified pass-catchers (albeit while playing in a terrible Carolina passing attack).
But if Belichick believes Anderson still has some of the talent that allowed him to catch 95 passes for 1,096 yards in 2020, the rail-thin wideout likely wouldn't cost much to sign. Belichick always has an eye out for depressed assets, so perhaps he'd take a flier on the former New York Jet.
Anderson wouldn't address the Patriots' need for a No. 1 receiver, but he could add some depth and experience to a group that could lose Jakobi Meyers and Nelson Agholor in free agency. The only New England wideouts currently under contract for 2023 are DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and practice squadders Lynn Bowden and Tre Nixon.
NFL free agency officially opens next Wednesday, March 15, but players released before that date are free to sign with new teams at any time.
