New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick reportedly believes quarterback Tom Brady's window is closing and wants an elite wide receiver for him before it does. With only a few more shots at a Super Bowl, the Patriots are expected to be active in the 2014 NFL draft.
Brady, 36, won't be an elite quarterback forever. One of Belichick's focuses this offseason is pairing Brady with an elite receiver, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report.
"What I continue to hear from team officials is that despite the Patriots working out a number of quarterbacks, they truly feel like that Tom Brady only has a few years left," Freeman wrote on Wednesday. "So what the Patriots really want is a major receiving threat for him so they can take that last shot or two at the Super Bowl. ...
"Belichick knows they need (a major receiving threat) again because the franchise has relied too heavily on Brady to save the day."
It's uncertain whether the Patriots plan to acquire a playmaking receiver through a trade or through the draft, where Freeman says it's "almost a guarantee" they will be very active.
The Boston Herald also predicts the Patriots to be busy on draft.
"The Patriots, though, are seemingly in the go-for-it mode, so perhaps they might make the selection at 29 or even look to move up," Karen Guregian of The Herald wrote on Sunday.
The draft begins on Thursday, May 8.
