Patriots Should Stage Pursuit Of Rumored Raiders Cap Casualty

Signing Calvin Ridley is starting to feel unlikely for the Patriots, so New England might need to start seriously looking into other ways to bolster its wide receiver groups.

One appealing option is set to become available Wednesday evening, and it wouldn’t require the Patriots to make a trade or shell out a boatload of cash.

The Raiders will release Hunter Renfrow when the new NFL year officially begins at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Renfrow was slated to count $13.7 million against Las Vegas’ 2024 salary cap, so he’s expected to suffer the same fate as quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in Sin City.

Renfrow likely will field several suitors on the open market once he’s released, and the Patriots probably should be one of them.

The 28-year-old is only a few years removed from a 2021 Pro Bowl season in which he corraled 103 catches for 1,038 receiving yards with nine touchdowns. Renfrow’s numbers were considerably down last season — 25 catches, 255 yards, two touchdowns — but he played in an offensive with all-world receiver Davante Adams and talented newcomer Jakobi Meyers. The Silver and Black also operated with Aidan O’Connell, a mediocre rookie QB, for most of the campaign.

Renfrow obviously wouldn’t be a No. 1 option for the Patriots or any other interested team. But his unique skill set could allow new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to get even more creative. The 2019 fifth-round pick also has big-game experience, winning two national titles as a Clemson standout.

Again, Renfrow wouldn’t be a total game-changer in the New England offense. But he probably would be an upgrade over most of the pass-catchers the Patriots deployed in recent years.