Why didn’t the Patriots pursue star wideouts Amari Cooper or Davante Adams?

FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots could certainly use a game-changing receiver to help Drake Maye’s development.

They were in on Calvin Ridley during free agency, losing out to the Tennessee Titans. And, they made a strong bid for Brandon Aiyuk before he re-upped with the 49ers.

What about Davante Adams, who recently landed with the New York Jets via trade with the Las Vegas Raiders? Or Amari Cooper, who arrived in Buffalo via Cleveland?

The Jets landed Adams and reunited him with Aaron Rodgers for a conditional third-round pick. Cooper, meanwhile, along with a 2025 sixth-round pick, were sent to Buffalo in exchange for the Bills’ 2025 third-round pick, and a seventh-round selection in 2026.

Those aren’t exactly mega-deals. Did the Patriots even kick the tires?

Listening to Jerod Mayo during his Wednesday presser, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Those are conversations that we, when I say we, the scouting department, Eliot (Wolf) and his staff, and the coaches talk about,” Mayo said when asked if the Patriots pursued the two receivers. “I would say those teams that you’re mentioning are at different points in that cycle. We weren’t really in on that stuff.”

The Bills, at 4-2, are a contending team. They needed another weapon for Josh Allen, and Cooper, who is 30, fits the bill. As for the Jets, who are 2-4, they’ve long had championship aspirations. After a disappointing start, they needed an offensive spark. Rodgers had a great connection with Adams in Green Bay, and that union gives them hope of rekindling that fire.

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The Patriots, at 1-5 and in the middle of a rebuild, aren’t looking for older receivers. They’re not playoff contenders, or a player away.

The trade deadline is less than a month away (November 5), so it’ll be interesting to see if de facto GM Eliot Wolf sells off some parts, or if the Patriots turn the season around behind Maye to the point of wanting to add.