Patriots Receiver Options Further Dwindle As Bills Land Free Agent

The New England Patriots already fell short in the Calvin Ridley sweepstakes this offseason, but the options list for remaining free agents to fill the team’s void in receiving depth was trimmed down again on Thursday.

Curtis Samuel, who could’ve been a potential backup plan for the Patriots, signed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The contract includes $15 million in guaranteed salary plus the opportunity to earn $30 million.

Now two days into the official free agency period, the Patriots have made minimal progress in recruiting new offensive weapons to pair with whoever New England names its starting quarterback. Ridley was the home run option for all teams involved, however, in the case of the Patriots, getting on base with a start is the ideal course of action.

Before New England presumably uses its No. 3 pick in April’s upcoming NFL draft, the front office needs to get proactive in bolstering the roster’s receiving core. Last season, there wasn’t much reliability, and the decision to allow homegrown wideout Jakobi Meyers to walk in free agency while replacing the 27-year-old with a washed-up JuJu Smith-Schuster backfired on the Patriots massively.

There’s a sliver of room for error this offseason, especially considering New England hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018 when Tom Brady delivered Foxborough its sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Samuel, 27, made 13 starts in 16 appearances last season with the Washington Commanders, his third and final season with the team. He recorded 613 receiving yards and four touchdowns off 62 receptions.

With roughly $50 million in cap space remaining for the Patriots to work around, the free agency market could still be explored to address one of several critical needs ahead of draft night. Mike Williams, Marquise Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. are among the top remaining receivers up for grabs.