Patriots reportedly want to avoid adding potentially ‘demanding’ wide receiver
The Patriots have prioritized adding free agents that will embrace Mike Vrabel’s culture. Which is all well and good, ideally, the Patriots should want positive influences in the locker room.
However, the issue with that selective style of player search has come to fruition for the Patriots: they have yet to address many of the weaknesses on their roster. The two most glaring holes on the Patriots offense, left tackle and wide receiver, still remain unfilled.
The Patriots have made one move at receiver, bringing in Mack Hollins. Now, Hollins may be a good character guy for the room and is a decent complementary piece, but he is far from the dominant No. 1 guy the Patriots should desperately desire. However, they may not even want a No. 1 receiver if he is, again, not a “culture fit.”
“The Patriots were exceedingly wary of the negative impact a demanding veteran wideout could have on [Drake] Maye,” writes Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston. “As a result, they weren’t in the game on talented guys like DK Metcalf and Davante Adams. The guy they loved – Chris Godwin – signed back with the Buccaneers.”
But, at the end of the day, at what point must the need for a high-end weapon for Maye, outweigh the “negative impact of a demanding veteran wideout?”
For the Patriots, the need for talent may never, in fact, supersede their apparent quest for an ideal culture. If that is the case, the Patriots might be very hard-pressed to find that guy, a wideout that fits both criteria. Unfortunately, bona fide No. 1 receivers are more often than not “demanding” of the ball — and rightfully so. They know their skill.
With its stardom and adulation, wide receiver can be an inherently egotistical position. It somewhat comes with the territory. Granted, if a demanding player becomes outwardly disgruntled, that could be problematic, but there is a case to be made that any player could express their dismay.
All of this is to say, that even if a true No. 1 receiver could potentially hinder the culture, it is equally likely that said receiver would help the Patriots get back on the winning side of things.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
