The New England Patriots are having a terrible season -- just not quite terrible enough to get some wide receiver help.
The Patriots and Cleveland Browns both submitted waiver claims Wednesday for wide receiver Dante Pettis before he joined the New York Giants, ESPN's Field Yates reported Thursday.
Waiver priority is given to the team with the worst record, meaning the 2-5 Patriots would have landed Pettis instead of the 3-5 Browns -- if it wasn't for the 1-7 Giants, who own the NFL's second-worst record.
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Pettis was targeted once in five games for the 49ers this season before San Francisco released him on Tuesday and has 38 receptions for 576 yards through two-plus NFL seasons.
But New England desperately needs help at wide receiver with Julian Edelman sidelined for several weeks and N'Keal Harry out with a concussion. Newcomer Isaiah Ford joins a skeleton crew that includes Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers and practice squad call-up Isaiah Zuber.
New England Patriots
Pettis wouldn't have moved the needle much, but losing out on the 25-year-old wideout -- to Joe Judge's New York Giants, no less -- has to rub salt in the Patriots' wounds amid their worst campaign in 20 years.