Patriots attempted to sign receivers Beasley, Humphries
The New England Patriots tried to sign Cole Beasley and Adam Humphries before they inked deals with the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans, respectively, the two wideouts revealed during their individual introductory press conferences Thursday.
Beasley named the Patriots, Bills, and Dallas Cowboys as the three finalists for his services, according to ESPN's Mike Rodak. The former Cowboy secured a four-year, $29-million contract from Buffalo.
Humphries also acknowledged that the Patriots made a charge at him, but not before he had already verbally agreed to join the Titans on a four-year, $36-million pact. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer admitted it was a difficult decision to spurn the Patriots.
"When I committed to Tennessee, obviously I'm a man of my word, and I'm going to keep my word there. But it's tough," he said, according to Zack Cox of NESN. "It's a big decision, and it's a decision that will impact me for the rest of my life, so I obviously (put) a lot of thought into that. Having family around me was good. But once I committed to Tennessee, I was really excited to be a Titan and still am."
The Patriots have just one established receiver under contract for 2019, making the position an urgent need for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Patriots' WR depth chart
| Player | Age | 2018 REC YDS |
|---|---|---|
| Julian Edelman | 32 | 850 |
| Phillip Dorsett | 26 | 290 |
| Maurice Harris | 26 | 304 (with Redskins) |
| Bruce Ellington | 27 | 224 (with Lions/Texans) |
| Braxton Berrios* | 23 | 0 |
*Spent entire 2018 season on injured reserve
Beasley and Humphries are both noted slot specialists.