Patriots Almost Traded For One of Bill Belichick Favorite Receivers

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick always praises players who impress him, including his favorite wide receivers. Yes, some players have earned his praise with their hard work on the football field. Chase Claypool is one of them.

According to recent reports, the Patriots almost traded for Claypool. Belichick and his team decided to keep the roster intact and didn’t make any major moves.

Claypool ended up joining the Chicago Bears. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded him for a second-rounder. Mike Florio was among the first to discuss the Claypool-to-Patriots topic. According to him, the team was “in on this” up until the Steelers decided to send him to Chicago.

Bill Belichick has other favorite wide receivers

The young wide receiver would have been an excellent addition to the Patriots. He was brilliant in his rookie campaign with the Steelers and almost reached the 1,000 mark. He did 873 yards, which is more than impressive. The NFL world watched the Steelers rookie haul in 9 touchdowns and yes, Belichick wanted him for a reason.

Claypool had 860 receiving yards in 2021. When it comes to the first eight games of the 2022 NFL season, the receiver had 32 receptions for 311 yards and one touchdown. These numbers may not be as impressive as the numbers he had in 2020, but Claypool sure caught Belichick’s eye. The Patriots head coach compared him to Rob Gronkowski. The 24-year-old has the perfect size and athleticism.

Belichick would have created the perfect role for the big wide receiver. New England can definitely use a wideout with a big body frame at this point. Claypool’s speed would make a difference in New England, too.

The Patriots are fine with DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, and Tyquan Thornton. Belichick likes his current team and he will move on with the players on his roster.

The Patriots had to add depth to their receiving unit and Belichick made some calculations. He is now getting ready for Stephon Gilmore and the Indianapolis Colts. It’s a big game for both teams.