Tee Higgins was franchise tagged by the Cincinnati Bengals; Chris Godwin decided to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Davante Adams signed with the Los Angles Rams; and the Pittsburgh Steelers won the DK Metcalf sweepstakes, trading a 2nd rounder to the Seattle Seahawks for his services.
However, there is one big-name receiver left; former Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LVI MVP, Cooper Kupp; who is set to be released by the Rams on Wednesday if the team cannot find a trade partner.
Cooper Kupp The Last Elite Receiving Option For The Patriots
Whilst New England are not interested in trading for his rather substantial contract, the organization could be tempted if he does hit – as is expected – the open market on Wednesday evening.
And it seems like that interest may well be reciprocal, as Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports that Kupp is “curious” – in a good way – about the possibility of playing for the Patriots this coming season.
“According to a league source, Kupp is curious about the prospect of playing in New England and has shared that curiosity with some close to him”, Callahan writes, “Kupp has personal and professional connections to Patriots, starting with ex-college teammate and fellow wideout Kendrick Bourne, who has repeatedly advocated for Kupp to come to New England on social media. The two remain friendly, sources say.”
Callahan also points that, similar to many other recent Patriots roster additions over the past couple of days, Kupp also has a coaching connection to Foxborough.
“Kupp also played under ex-Rams assistant head coach Thomas Brown, who worked in Los Angeles from 2020-22 and now serves as the Patriots’ tight ends coach. Thus far, the Patriots’ free-agent class is littered with veterans, like Kupp, who previously overlapped with Mike Vrabel or his assistants; from new receiver Mack Hollins, who played for Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, to outside linebacker Harold Landry, who suited up for Vrabel in Tennessee.”
Could The Patriots Actually Land Kupp?
The Pats are currently the 4th most likely team to land the former All-Pro, according to betting markets, behind just the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions.
However, none of them have a pressing need at the position like New England does, with all three listed teams having a WR1 in one form or another in Brian Thomas Jr., Courtland Sutton, and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
More importantly, none of them have the cap space that the Patriots do. Even after bringing in numerous starters such as Milton Williams, Carlton Davis and Morgan Moses since the legal tampering period opened on Monday, the Patriots still have $86 million in cap space – the most in the NFL.
For a veteran like Kupp, who has already cashed in a considerable amount over the course of his career to the tune of nearly $100 million, a million here or there will likely not be defining factor.
And if this “curiosity” turns into legitimate interest, the Patriots may find themselves a new #1 receiver going into the 2025 season.
