Patriots Can Make Bargain Trade for a Favorite WR of Alex Van Pelt

Acquiring a legitimate 1,000-yard wide receiver is still near the top of the to-do list for the New England Patriots this season. It’s a problem the Pats can solve with a bargain trade for Amari Cooper, who was a favorite of new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt with the Cleveland Browns.

The trade scenario is outlined by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. He believes “New England could use the No. 3 pick on a wideout like Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and still use a veteran like Cooper opposite him.”

What’s most appealing about this idea is how “trading for Cooper shouldn’t be overly expensive. The Browns acquired him in 2022 for just a fifth-round pick and a swap of sixth-round selections. If Cleveland is willing to deal him now, it’ll be more interested in the cap savings than acquiring premium draft compensation.”

Van Pelt would surely be a key voice in convincing Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo to make a deal for Cooper. The latter enjoyed two of his most productive seasons with Van Pelt calling the plays in Cleveland.

Amari Cooper Would Be the Vertical Playmaker the Patriots Need

Cooper was targeted 260 times in two years on Van Pelt’s watch. The wideout earned his fifth Pro Bowl berth after making 72 catches for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns during the 2023 season.

What was most impressive about Cooper’s campaign was how adept he became at attacking defenses vertically. He averaged a career-high 17.4 yards per reception, per Pro Football Reference. As a team, the Patriots averaged 9.7 yards per catch.

Cooper also made eight catches of 40-plus yards, second only to Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins. The Pats, meanwhile, tallied just four catches of 40 or more yards.

Cooper’s season-high was a 75-yard touchdown catch against the Houston Texans in Week 16. The 29-year-old also “gained 150 yards on vertical routes off of play action today, the most in a game over the last 5 seasons,” per Next Gen Stats.

Van Pelt made targeting Cooper deep a core part of his playbook. The wideout averaged 13.6 yards before catch per reception.

Alex Van Pelt Must Expand Patriots’ Offense

Van Pelt has an unenviable task trying to expand an offense that ranked 31st in points and 30th in yards. Attacking the deep third of the field through the air more often would help.

It won’t be easy, especially if the Patriots replace quarterback Mac Jones with a rookie. Perhaps trading Jones for a nine-time Pro Bowler is the better move.