The New England Patriots are not going to bounce back and make the playoffs this season. They simply don't have the team that can make that kind of a run.
However, that doesn't mean that there is a dull outlook for the Patriots looking ahead to the future.
Jerod Mayo and company have a ton of young talent on the roster to build around. This season was all about development and beginning a new culture with Mayo leading the way.
In the offseason, New England will have the ability to make moves to bolster the roster and try to make a run at the playoffs in 2025.
One area that the team will need to address is at wide receiver. They need a legitimate No. 1 option for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. There is a good chance that they could find that player in free agency during the offseason.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has an idea for who that wide receiver could end up being. He has named the Patriots as a top potential landing spot for Buffalo Bills impending free agent Amari Cooper.
"Cooper would be an ideal target for a team looking to pair a savvy veteran with a young quarterback," Knox wrote. "The Patriots could look to pair him with Drake Maye, while the Titans could look to pair him with a quarterback they target early in the 2025 draft."
Bringing in a veteran like Cooper would certainly make sense. As Knox mentioned, having a veteran wide receiver who knows how to help a talented young quarterback could be an ideal situation.
Throughout his career, Cooper has been one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL. He is 30-years-old, but still has a few very good years left in him.
During the 2024 NFL season so far, Cooper has caught 29 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He hasn't put up the numbers that many expected from him, but he is still a very productive wideout.
Granted, there is a chance that New England would rather focus on adding a younger go-to target that could grow with Maye for years to come. Tee Higgins has been a name that has come up if they want to go that route.
That being said, Cooper would bring experience and consistency to help the other young wideouts on the Patriots grow. His presence would also give Maye a proven star that can help carry the offense.
Cooper may not end up being a perfect target in every single area, but he would take the offense to another level and would help New England's young quarterback grow and develop. It's certainly a possibility to keep an eye on.
