One of the themes of the Patriots' pursuit of free agents on Monday -- the first day of the NFL's legal tampering period -- was familiarity.
Pass-rusher Harold Landry III, linebacker Robert Spillane and quarterback Josh Dobbs played under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee. Cornerback Carlton Davis crossed over with defensive coordinator Terrell Williams in Detroit. Spillane and receiver Mack Hollins were coached by Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. Offensive tackle Morgan Moses and Patriots receivers coach Todd Downing were together with the Jets the last two seasons.
With the Patriots still needing help at wide receiver, are there any other familiar options for them to try to collect as they reshape their locker room?
Two of the most well-known options who'd fit that bill are currently under contract with other teams.
Cooper Kupp is available to be traded and could be released when the new league year begins on Wednesday. A staple of the Rams passing game since he entered the league as a third-round pick in 2017, Kupp has been limited to 33 games over the last three seasons due to injury.
Kupp worked with Patriots passing-game coordinator and tight ends coach Thomas Brown when Brown was assistant head coach on Sean McVay's staff in 2021 and 2022. Additionally, Kupp is renowned for his positive impact on the culture in Los Angeles and would check a number of the intangible boxes Vrabel values.
He's not the No. 1 option he was previously in his career. But as a dependable (when available) option in the short-to-intermediate area of the field, he could have a significant impact on making Drake Maye feel comfortable in critical situations.
Phil Perry and Albert Breer join Arbella Early Edition to explain why the Patriots should target Cooper Kupp and what he could bring to the team's locker room
Another veteran whose availability is more up in the air would be Jakobi Meyers. The former Patriots wideout spent three seasons under McDaniels in New England and then was brought to Las Vegas ahead of McDaniels' final season with the Raiders.
The Patriots have an affinity for Meyers' game -- his toughness, his dependability, his willingness to do the dirty work at the position -- and he's viewed as a fit with what they're trying to build from a culture standpoint. He may not be offered up by the Raiders, though, who just added Geno Smith and likely would want to keep their new quarterback surrounded with as many capable weapons as possible.
If not one of those two options, then who else is available for the Patriots to add at receiver?
DeAndre Hopkins is still lingering as a free-agent possibility. He'll be 33 years old when the 2025 season begins, and he's familiar with Vrabel's way of doing things. He had 1,057 yards in 2023 during Vrabel's last season with the Titans.
When Tennessee brought Hopkins aboard prior to that season, Vrabel -- who was an assistant in Houston when Hopkins was with the Texans -- praised Hopkins for his consistency.
"Obviously, he's a proven player that's had production, year after year," Vrabel said. "He's a veteran presence that's seen a lot of different defenses, and he's got experience in our offense.
"The system might have changed a little, but he's got some familiarity with it, some familiarity with me, with [offensive coordinator Tim Smith], and some of our coaches, so we're going to ask him to do the same things we ask everybody else to do, which is to come in, be attentive, work hard, and help the team in multiple ways. I'm confident he'll do that."
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
DeAndre Hopkins racked up 1,057 yards on 75 catches while playing for Mike Vrabel in 2023.
At the time, after turning down the Bill Belichick-led Patriots, Hopkins expressed similar respect for Vrabel.
"I wanted to be somewhere around people I'm comfortable with," Hopkins said. "Vrabel, you know, we've always kept communication over the years. When I first got to Arizona, he was the first coach to congratulate me. And he was one of the first coaches to criticize a bad game I had as well. He wasn't my coach, and that's what I respect about him."
Another free-agent option with experience playing under Vrabel would be Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who served as a complementary wideout -- career-high 38 catches in 2021 -- for the Titans since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
None of the above names are top-flight, game-breaking weapons at this stage of their careers. But they have familiarity with the coaching staff in Foxboro, and they'd help fortify a room that has been in desperate need of upgrading over the last few seasons.