The Patriots still need WR help

Andy Behrens and Matt Harmon discuss the New England Patriots' passing game and the team's need to find a #1 WR.

Video Transcript

[VARIOUS SPORTS SOUNDS]

ANDY BEHRENS: Before we get away from the Patriots-- I don't know. Like, one big question about them, I guess, for me, as they head into the offseason. They just spent a [BLEEP] ton on their receiving corps, right? They spent so much money on their receiving corps, and I still feel like they need both a number one and a number two.

Maybe that's a little unfair to Kendrick Bourne, who was good and a total playmaker. In fact, I know it's disrespectful to Bourne. He was good. OK, Bourne was fine. He was good. I don't know if he's a number two, if he's a number three. I don't know what he is.

Hunter Henry was fine as a turnaround in the end zone and a wait a pass sort of guy. But, again, not really, like, an after-the-catch player, at this point. He's like a-- he's like a slightly better version of Jack Doyle, maybe.

Like, they need a lot of stuff, in that-- like, if they're gonna be able to compete with the Bills for the next five years, 10 years, they need stuff. And they just spent all this money to assemble a receiving corps. And I guess you would like to think that you're finished once you spend all that money, but they're clearly not.

MATT HARMON: Yeah. I think you just have to remember how bad that receiver corps was last year. I mean, it's like, you know, N'Keal Harry was their first round pick not long ago, and he's basically-- like, might want to add 10 pounds and move to tight end at this point for N'Keal Harry, since the best thing he can do is a crack block on run plays and stuff like that.

So you have to remember, like, they had to spend a ton of money just to get to competent. And I disagree a little bit. Like, I think Kendrick Bourne is a good player. I think Jakobi Meyers is, like, a fine slot receiver. But they desperately need a number one. I will agree with you on that.

I mean, there was some talk on, you know, Patriots circles of, like, getting Nelson Agholor back for this game is gonna be huge because he at least can stretch the field. Well, one catch for 18 yards. You know, it's like you don't want-- you don't want Nelson Agholor to be your best deep threat. You don't want Nelson Agholor to be, like, your best perimeter receiver.

I think Kendrick Bourne is, like, a crafty guy, who, you know, they can-- he did make some plays in this game, and I think they could kind of get him involved more. And, like I said, I like Jakobi Meyers as a-- as, like, a slot receiver, as well. I think he can be, you know, fine in that role. I think he's had some moments this year, and Bourne has, as well.

So what they desperately need, though, is, like, a future number one. Somebody to be the top threat for Mac Jones to kind of develop there. So, yeah, they spent all this money to get to competent, but competent is not gonna be good enough for them to be the offense that they need to be.

ANDY BEHRENS: Yep. Fully agree.