Pivoting To Draft? Patriots Still Have Options In Wideout Market

The Patriots' pursuit of a game-changing wide receiver hit a snag Wednesday, and it appears that might be enough to deter New England from continuing its search.

Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo need to get back on the horse, though.

Calvin Ridley rejected the Patriots' advances on the first day of free agency, reportedly opting to join the Tennessee Titans on a four-year, $92 million deal, with $50 million guaranteed. New England reportedly had a strong offer on the table, but guaranteed money seemed to be the primary breakdown.

No big deal, the Patriots have been in this (almost exact) spot before. They'll just shift their attention to another proven wide receiver available on the free agent or trade market, right?

It doesn't look that way.

The Patriots have "moved on" after Ridley's denial and reportedly will turn their attention toward the 2024 NFL Draft in hopes to find a No. 1 wideout, according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson. It's an extremely deep class at wide receiver and all, but is that really the best course of action for New England? We certainly don't think so.

New England did a tremendous job at locking up internal free agents and doing so on relatively advantageous contracts. It entered the offseason with three major needs, however, and has failed to fully address any of them. The Patriots essentially swapped Mac Jones for Jacoby Brissett, but still haven't found their quarterback of the future. They also retained Mike Onwenu and made a depth signing at tackle, but don't have a reliable option to protect the blindside. Kendrick Bourne is back, but the wide receiver room literally has less now than it did before, and that's saying something.

How does New England expect to fill all three holes in the draft? Is Wolf some kind of miracle worker?

It would be absolutely irresponsible for the Patriots to try and address their biggest needs through the draft alone, especially when there still are options on the open market.

Mike Williams and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown are free agents, and while they might not necessarily be top-flight options, they're still upgrades when healthy. Tee Higgins could be available through trade and, given his talent and youth, is worth the expected asking price of a second-round pick. Brandon Aiyuk might just find himself on the trading block, as well, and the same that we said about Higgins applies to him.

Tyler Boyd, Hunter Renfrow, Curtis Samuel, D.J. Chark, KJ Osborn and Josh Reynolds are also available wideouts who could serve to help upgrade the position while allowing the Patriots to wait and still select a quality wideout in the draft.

It's going to cost more than just straight cash, which is what made Ridley so enticing. But the Patriots still have an opportunity to go find a No. 1 wideout. That, or they can find smaller upgrades by spending.

They just can't sit and wait any longer.