4 Thoughts On The Patriots’ Second Day Of Nfl Free Agency

The New England Patriots had a mostly quiet second day of the NFL’s legal tampering period, but they did make one move. It was a significant one, too: wide receiver Romeo Doubs will be joining the team on a reported four-year contract worth $68 million.

Doubs becomes the fourth outside free agent joining the team this week after it had previously reached agreements with edge defender Dre’Mont Jones, fullback Reggie Gilliam and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker. Here are four quick-hit thoughts on the signing and Day 2 of free agency week as a whole.

Doubs fallout

Doubs was used primarily on the perimeter during his four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, but his past performance and overall skillset suggest that he could become a multi-faceted piece in New England’s offensive puzzle. That said, he currently projects as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver and outside target, which in turn creates a ripple effect across the entire group.

What that will look like has yet to be determined, but one player we will keep a particularly close eye on is Kayshon Boutte. Considered a trade candidate a year ago, he went on to serve as the Patriots’ most consistent field stretcher and perimeter option over the course of the 2025 season.

That second role will supposedly now be filled by Doubs, which in turn leaves Boutte’s status in question heading toward the final year of his rookie contract. There are multiple ways to look at this, but given the overall composition of New England’s receiver group at the moment, the 2023 sixth-round draft pick could actually benefit from Doubs’ arrival.

No longer the Patriots’ primary perimeter weapon on paper, Boutte might transition into a more dynamic role himself. Maybe we hill play more Z after mostly being used as the X-receiver in 2025; maybe he will get more favorable matchups as a deep threat; maybe a reduction in workload might help him maintain his level of play better over the course of an entire season. The possibilities are intriguing.

A.J. Brown trade off the table?

Even though they will be paying Doubs good money once his contract gets signed, the Patriots are not believed to be out of the A.J. Brown sweepstakes. What this signing does, however, is shift the power balance between New England and Philadelphia.

Previously and with the Patriots in definitive need of some wide receiver help, the Eagles held seemingly all the cards. They had Brown under contract and were in a difficult spot financially were they to trade him before June 1; naturally, their asking price was high and included a first-round draft choice the Patriots were not willing to part ways with.

While it would be ideal to bring Brown in as soon as possible from a preparatory perspective, signing Doubs allowed the Patriots to buy themselves some time: with him in town, they can wait for the Eagles to adjust their demands. Alternatively, because they will have a fairly accurate projection of Doubs’ outlook once offseason workouts get underway, they could just as well decide to back out off a potential trade for A.J. Brown entirely.

That flexibility is something the Patriots didn’t have in their trade negotiations with the Eagles beforehand.

Maxx Crosby trade back on the table?

The biggest story in the NFL on Tuesday was not the Patriots bringing in a wide receiver, but rather the Maxx Crosby trade between Lass Vegas and Baltimore falling apart. The Ravens reportedly were concerned about Crosby’s long-term outlook coming off an MCL injury, and decided that a pair of first-round draft picks were too steep a price after all.

And so, Crosby is seemingly back on the market. Does that mean the Patriots, who were considered one of the teams showing interest in him, could be back in contention?

In theory, yes. Realistically, however, it seems unlikely that they will go after the 28-year-old. Besides the questions lingering over his physical shape, they already invested $36.5 million in fellow edge Dre’Mont Jones. Needless to say, Crosby would be an upgrade nonetheless, but bringing him aboard too would create a financial logjam on the edge.

The biggest holdup, however, would be the price. Baltimore was, until Tuesday, ready to give up two first-round selections for Crosby. Even if Las Vegas decides to adjust its stance now that that trade fell through, even one first-rounder would be too steep an asking pice for the Patriots.

Building the foundation

Two days into the NFL legal tampering window, the Patriots have not made the sheer volume of moves they did last year. That said, their signings-to-be have been quite purposeful so far: all of them addressed some needs on the roster.

The latest among them is Doubs, who is in line to replace a previously-released Stefon Diggs as a volume target in the passing game. Before him, Dre’Mont Jones offers disruptive potential on the edge, Reggie Gilliam a proven commodity at fullback, and Alijah Vera-Tucker a high-upside starting left guard.

Having all of that in the fold means that the Patriots, as mentioned in the A.J.Brown section above, become more flexible. They still have needs to fill, especially at tight end and safety, but the foundation has become stronger with five weeks to go until the draft. This, in turn, should help increase the potential options at No. 31 overall.