The New England Patriots are moving on from Stefon Diggs and will need a new No. 1 receiver for Drake Maye. Free agency could be how they add one.
There are plenty of solid options available in free agency this offseason, but Alec Pierce seems to be the most coveted of the wide receivers available. He is only 25 years old and is coming off the best season of his career. NFL insider Tony Pauline reported on Thursday that the Patriots will make a push to sign him.
"I reported just before the Combine that the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans are two teams ready to make a bid for Pierce," wrote Pauline, "In the past few hours, I also learned the New England Patriots are hot for Pierce and are expected to make a big push for the wideout."
Pierce is a true deep threat and could be a great player to pair with Drake Maye, who has already proven he has one of the best deep balls in football. Pierce has led the league in yards per reception in each of the last two seasons and had a 1,000-yard season last season for the first time.
The Indianapolis Colts also had Michael Pittman Jr., but Pierce emerged as the more productive receiver. Pittman still commanded over 100 targets, compared to just 84 for Pierce, but on the Patriots, Pierce could also reach close to 100 targets. In the last two seasons, he has1,827 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Patriots can afford him since they created some cap space by moving on from Diggs. Pierce could end up being an upgrade over Diggs when paired with a quarterback like Maye. He put p the numbers he did last season while playing with Daniel Jones, Phillip Rivers, Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard.
While Rivers might end up being a Hall of Famer and Jones had a solid season, neither was on the level of Maye last season.
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