Patriots Interested in Trade for ‘Impact’ Receiver, Could Release Veteran

Getty The Patriots could target Robby Anderson via trade.

The New England Patriots could make a noteworthy trade in the offseason.

As the Patriots enter the offseason with one of their top priorities being acquiring a veteran receiver, Robby Anderson may emerge as that guy. According to a report by Boston Sports Journal’s Greg A. Bedard on Saturday, March 5, the Patriots have shown “some interest” in acquiring the Carolina Panthers receiver.

“The Patriots have at least shown some interest in trading for Panthers receiver Robby Anderson, the former Jet who impressed against the Patriots on film despite not much production (nine games, 49 targets, 17 receptions, 181 yards, 0 TDs),” says Bedard.

Patriots Previously Tried to Sign Anderson

Anderson is also known for his four-year tenure with the New York Jets from 2016 until 2019. Upon signing with the Panthers in 2020, he posted 95 receptions for 1,096 yards and three touchdowns during a breakout campaign.

This isn’t the first time the Patriots have shown interest in acquiring the deep-threat receiver. The 28-year-old revealed he garnered interest from the Patriots when he was a free agent back in 2020, before inking a deal with the Panthers for two years, $20 million.

“When I played them, from what I can remember, (Belichick) usually would put man coverage (with) a safety over the top and scheme me, do things like that,” the 28-year-old receiver told reporters in November. “Kind of take me out of the picture. He even told me that, too. Last year when I was in free agency, he tried to get me to sign. He was like, ‘I’m tired of scheming against you. I’m tired of going against you.’”

The more interesting tidbit in Bedard’s column is that if the Patriots were to acquire Anderson, they would so with the intention of lining up Anderson as the “X” receiver. That means New England would then attempt to move their current “X” receiver in Nelson Agholor.

“League sources said Anderson is not an option in the slot for the Patriots, so he would likely be a replacement for Agoholor and basically the same salary (Agholor has a $14.9 million cap figure this year),” says Bedard. “If the Patriots can trade Agholor — perhaps to Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler in Las Vegas, where Agholor had a standout season in 2019 for position coach Edgar Bennett, who was retained by McDaniels — the Patriots would save $4.9 million against the cap.”

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How Patriots Can Benefit from Anderson Trade

Agholor completed his first season with the Patriots after signing a two-year, $22 million deal last offseason. The veteran receiver had a disappointing campaign, producing just 37 receptions for 473 yards and three touchdowns as the clear fourth receiving option on the team.

Anderson is coming off of a down season (53 receptions, 519 yards and five touchdowns) himself, so it’s not surprising Bill Belichick would try to capitalize on that. He’s done this in the past with other receivers coming off of down seasons with their current teams, most notably with Randy Moss when he played for the Las Vegas Raiders during the 2007 offseason.

Acquiring Anderson would mean acquiring the remaining $19.8 million in base salaries and $5.8 million in roster bonuses moving forward. In an absolute worst-case scenario, there is a potential “out” in the contract, where the Patriots could release Anderson during the 2023 offseason with just slightly under $4 million in dead cap space.

Making a trade for Anderson wouldn’t exactly speak “blockbuster” trade. But if Belichick feels he can utilize Anderson to his strengths while departing with a disappointing acquisition in Agoholor, this move would be a win for the Patriots.