Skill Position Help is Available if the Patriots Want It. Two Former 1st Rounders are Requesting Trades.

I'm not in Panic Mode about the Patriots passing offense. Truly, I am not. I might be clinically diagnosed with moderate-to-severe concern over the fact that their leader in receiving yards Sunday was a veteran running back and their fourth leading receiver was the quarterback who is recovering from a potentially lethal virus. And the wide receiver who took the most snaps was Damiere Byrd. The only tight end who's caught a pass on the season is Ryan Izzo while the two rookies they drafted in the third round have a lesser chance of being part of the offense than they do of being The Masked Singer. 

But no, I'm not panicking. If this keeps up, the first stages of early onset panic may set in. But for now, I'll agree with what Cam Newton said after the game, which is the solution is in the locker room already. 

Nevertheless, it's worth pointing out that other options are available at the skill positions. The first I talked about in the middle of summer. The newer one just became available. Potentially. Both are intriguing possibilities, to say the least. And to say the most, could help turn this ship around. 

Source - Tight end David Njoku would still like the Browns to trade him, a league source told cleveland.com on Monday.

Njoku, who initially asked to be traded on July 3 but then rescinded the request on Aug. 1, would like to find a new home by the trade deadline on Nov. 3rd.

To this point, the Browns haven’t been willing to trade him, but they might be open to it if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse. The Browns need help at linebacker, safety and cornerback, and could possibly pick up a starter to help out down the stretch.

 They could also try to secure draft picks in exchange for the 2017 first round pick. 

Njoku right now is the Browns third tight end behind Austin Hooper and rookie Harrison Bryant, which means he's a pretty devalued asset given that he was the 29th overall pick in 2017. Here's what I wrote back in July when he first requested the Browns move him:

[T]he more I think about it, the more it seems that Njoku and New England are too perfect a match for this not to happen. …

Over the years, the last few especially, Bill Belichick has shown a real affection for acquiring former first round picks that had yet to live up to their draft status elsewhere or had simply been made available for whatever reason: 

• Last year's team alone had Danny Shelton (12th overall in 2015) and Phillip Dorsett (29th in 2015). 
• The season before included those two along with Adrian Clayborn (20th, 2011) and Cordarelle Patterson (29th, 2013). 
• In 2017, it was Brandin Cooks (20th, 2014) and Kenny Britt (30th, 2009).
• In 2016, Michael Floyd (13th, 2012), Chris Long (2nd, 2008), Barkevious Mingo (6th, 2013) and Jonathan Cooper (7th, 2013)….

The fact is, the Pats are always willing to bring in a guy who was highly thought of by the stopwatch-and-film study crowd but who, for one reason or another, hasn't panned out. Because they realize very often it's not the player, it's the system or the coaching.

If it's going to happen, I'd love it to be for a mid-round pick, the Patriots usual sweet spot when they're trying to sign a Purchase & Sale on a real fixer-upper like Njoku. Though that's probably unrealistic given the fact the Browns are 4-2 and beginning to pick up the scent of playoff contention. So if they're looking to add to their defense, the Pats don't have linebacking help to spare but the secondary is the deepest, strongest group on the team. I wouldn't part with any of the top seven or so guys in the secondary rotation. And certainly not for Kyle Dugger who is getting more reps and flashes brilliance at times. But under the circumstances I might be persuaded to give up a Terrance Brooks or even a Joejuan Williams for a young talent like Njoku. 

Because say what you will about how he's buried on the depth chart, he has produced when he's been given a chance. The comparisons are admittledly ridiculous because he's only been targeted seven times on the year. So you not only have to extrapolate, you have to extra-extrapolate. But in terms of catch % (71.4%), yards per reception (12.4) and passer rating when targeted (138.7), he's right there with Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Jared Cook, respectively. And for what it's worth, his receiving grade on Pro Football Focus is 16th best among all tight ends. What we do know is that the minute he were to step foot out of his car at Gillette, he'd be the best tight end on the grounds. 

Next:

USA Today - Ross quietly returned to the lineup after multiple inactive weeks only due to injuries to others — and played a single snap.

A former first-round pick now on the final year of his deal after the team declined his fifth-year option, Ross has fallen behind A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and a host of others in the Joe Burrow-led offense.

Ross wanting out isn’t much of a shocker at this point, though the Bengals getting anything noteworthy back via trade would be.

This one is a little more problematic. Yes, Ross would come at a Yard Sale price. And it's not hard to … well, get hard … over visions of him out running corners and blowing past safeties like they're just so many hashmarks at his legendary 4:22 Combine run. 

To picture him taking the tops off of fields and stretching the defense or whatever they always say about the guys who break the stopwatches. 

It's just that the Patriots have never gone after wideouts with his skillset. Perhaps to their detriment. I don't know. They draft the guys who have the "Flying 20," meaning how fast they go from 20-40 yards. Which is how you've ended up with N'Keal Harry, who was among the half dozen slowest 40s in the WR group in the RCA Dome Class of 2019. They've never been built on 40-times nearly as much as they make the hearteyes at precise route runners with short-area quickness and who can get off the line. Plus, have good hands. 

Ross has never demonstrated any of those. In his 27 career games, he's had more than 100 yards twice. And more than 52 yards just three times. His catch % this year is 28.6%. His passer rating when targeted is 38.6. He averages 1.5 YAC per reception. And his career YAC/R is 5.2. Those numbers don't sound like their stretching much of anything. Except Ross' jersey when he's being tackled!!! Amirite?!? 

So if I'm advising Belichick and Nick Caserio (and when I'm cosplaying by myself at home, that is precisely what I do), I'd recommend making a hard push for Njoku and wait until March to sign Ross to a one year, veteran minimum Prove It deal and nothing more. Then I'd work on getting a bigger role for Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski. And between now and the time a deal can be made for Njoku? For the love of all that is sacred I'd finally get Devin Asiasi involved. Because if Newton is right and the solution is already on the roster, the time to implement those solutions is exactly now.