Pats Pulpit
Bateman signed a three-year, $36.75 million deal last week.
Signing Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in free agency, and selecting Kyle Williams in the third round of the draft, the New England Patriots reshaped their wide receiver group this offseason. They also expressed interest in making another move, though: trading for Baltimore Ravens wideout Rashod Bateman.
According to a report by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Patriots were among several teams in the running for Bateman’s services this offseason. The others mentioned included the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
How far talks progressed between the Patriots and Bateman’s camp, which was given permission to seek a trade from the Ravens earlier this offseason, is not known; the same is true for a timeline of events. What we do know, however, is that the parties involved eventually reached a point where a move became no realistic option.
Ultimately, the Ravens and Bateman reached agreement on a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension last week.
The Patriots being interested in Bateman, though, is not entirely unsurprising. The team has been in the market for wide receiver help for some time now, and despite its recent investments could have benefitted from adding a player of the 25-year-old’s caliber.
While his career production does not stand out compared to the league’s elite wideouts, Bateman is a well-built athlete capable of offering starter-level play at the X-receiver position. He had a career year in 2024, hauling in 45 passes for 756 yards and 9 touchdowns. He ranked third in the NFL among qualifying wideouts with an average of 16.8 yards per reception.
At the moment, the Patriots’ X-receiver depth chart is headed by the aforementioned Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams as well as Kayshon Boutte and Javon Baker. Stefon Diggs and Ja’Lynn Polk are also capable of playing on the outside, although both project more favorably as Z-receivers aligned off the line.
