New England Patriots free agency 2021: Top 5 targets

2. Corey Davis

Julian Edelman’s status on the Patriots’ roster is squarely up in the air. If he leaves, the team has several big holes to fill at wide receiver. Even if Edelman returns for one more season in Foxborough, the team needs to start making plans for his eventual departure.

Davis isn’t the best receiver in this year’s free agent class, but he’s got a lot of upside as a playmaker. In particular, he’s the sort of deep threat that can add an extra dimension to this offense. He may never become the league’s best route runner, but New England desperately needs to inspire some fear in opposing secondaries. Adding Davis as a deep threat can do just that.

After all, he caught 65 balls for the Titans last season and averaged just over 15 yards per catch. He absolutely benefited from the attention A.J. Brown drew on the other side of the formation, but New England should be able to scheme him into single coverage at a reasonably high rate.

The key for New England is to avoid the temptation to pay Davis like a star. He’s a good No. 2 wide receiver who will struggle to ever develop into a legitimate No. 1. Paying him something like $15 million per season is acceptable. Stretching that figure to $20 million in average annual value will turn into a bad deal for New England.