{"id":21989,"date":"2025-05-04T15:25:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T15:25:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=21989"},"modified":"2025-05-04T15:26:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T15:26:28","slug":"patriots-31-year-old-signee-tabbed-roster-lock-over-young-wrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingnews.azontree.com\/?p=21989","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 BREAKING: Patriots just made it clear \u2014 experience > youth \ud83d\ude02 A 31-year-old WR is now a roster LOCK while the young guns fight for scraps.  Is he the real deal or just the most experienced guy in the room? \ud83d\udc74\ud83d\udcaa"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\">\n<div>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2194777751-e1746364267386.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2194777751-e1746364267386.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2194777751-e1746364267386.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2194777751-e1746364267386.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Patriots 31-Year-Old Signee Tabbed Roster 'Lock' Over Young WRs\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Getty Patriots WR Mack Hollins<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>For a team that entered the 2025 NFL offseason desperate for help at wide receiver, the Patriots sure have a very crowded wide receiver room. The team added three key pieces in the last eight weeks, and while there is no doubt there has been an upgrade, the Patriots will now have to sort through the dirty business of deciding who stays and who goes, picking through known commodities and unknown mysteries.<\/p>\n<p>Even the known commodities are not that well-known. The Patriots took a gamble on wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency, giving him a three-year, $63.5 million contract, but with only one guaranteed season. Diggs, though, is likely to begin the season on the PUP or on injured reserve.<\/p>\n<p>Pop Douglas did not have a breakout sophomore year, but there is no doubt he has a role with this team. And old friend Kendrick Bourne, while he should be healthy, has played just 20 games the last two seasons.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond them, there is third-round pick Kyle Williams, a sure bet to be on the roster, but an unknown still. And the young trio of Kayshon Boutte, JayLynn Polk and Javon Baker remains in the fold, too.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe the only receiver who, barring injury, is certain to be in uniform for Week 1 is a surprise: 31-year-old free-agent signee Mack Hollins.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/0iAxn07yMAGQ2Cab7llXgA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTQyNztjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/touchdown_wire_usa_today_sports_articles_829\/51fb50badcfd1d9e3b2f5f22286254cc\" alt=\"Mack Hollins with another spectacular entrance for Patriots-Bills - Yahoo Sports\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Mack Hollins Contract Makes Him a \u2018Lock\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>That\u2019s the thought from Patriots insider Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston, who was asked about the receiver room in a recent mailbag.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMack Hollins has been guaranteed $3.5 million on his two-year deal in New England. Teams don\u2019t typically commit that kind of money to a player only to have him not make the team. He\u2019s a lock,\u201d Perry said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStefon Diggs, when healthy, is a lock. Rookie third-rounder Kyle Williams is a lock. My belief is that both DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne will be on the team as well.\u00a0That doesn\u2019t leave many spots for others at the position.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Patriots Have Tough Decisions to Make<\/h2>\n<p>Indeed, if the Patriots keep six receivers (possible seven?), once Diggs gets healthy, there is likely only one roster spot for Boutte, Polk or Baker. The Patriots also like UDFA signee Efton Chism, so there could be four players in the mix for one spot (maybe two).<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s the practice squad, but there will also be tough choices on trades and cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Hollins has never been a star-caliber wideout, but he has flashed talent when given an opportunity, and the Patriots like his veteran reliability. He was a favorite security blanket of Josh Allen in Buffalo last year, catching 31 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Patriots receiving room is more crowded than expected, but Mack Hollins is once guy who appears to be safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":21990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-england-patriots"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udea8 BREAKING: Patriots just made it clear \u2014 experience &gt; youth \ud83d\ude02 A 31-year-old WR is now a roster LOCK while the young guns fight for scraps. 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