Tom Brady is getting a new toy to enjoy in his offense.
The New England Patriots acquired speedy wideout Cordarrelle Patterson from the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, the team announced. The Patriots will swap their fifth-round pick for a Raiders sixth-round pick in order to make the move, Oakland confirmed.
Pardon My Take first reported news of the trade.
Patterson, who's most well known in the football world for his electrifying kick returns and world-class speed as a wideout, has been an underrated special teams player. With the Pats expected to lose longtime special teams ace Matthew Slater in free agency (he visited the Steelers this weekend, per ESPN), that's probably the role New England envisions Patterson filling when he arrives.
The last time the Pats acquired an Oakland Raider wideout who initially began his career as a Minnesota Vikings first-round pick, it turned out pretty well for Randy Moss and New England. While Patterson isn't expected to be quite that level of player, he could be another nice weapon for Brady in a very deep crop of Patriots wideouts.
In 16 games this past season, Patterson logged 31 catches for 309 yards while adding 121 rushing yards and two scores on 13 carries.