More to come? Patriots aren't done adding on offense, Zolak hints

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The New England Patriots have made several moves to improve their offense already this offseason -- and their work isn't done.

The Patriots reportedly agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $ 9 million with free-agent tight end Mike Gesicki on Friday, one day after adding wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Robinson.

But is New England eyeing additional acquisitions on offense? That's what former Patriots quarterback and 98.5 The Sports Hub radio co-host Scott Zolak suggested Friday on "Zolak & Bertrand."

"I was told today, this is the first domino to fall, that there's more to come," Zolak said. "So, I think this is where they're starting to make their moves."

Perhaps the Patriots' most important move of the offseason was hiring veteran offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to replace 2022 offensive play-caller Matt Patricia, who oversaw a dysfunctional and inconsistent offense last season. Zolak added he believes O'Brien has influenced some of New England's offseason signings to date, and to that point, Gesicki has a close relationship with O'Brien, who actually recruited the tight end to Penn State in 2013 when he was the Nittany Lions' head coach.

New Patriots TE Mike Gesicki and OC Bill O'Brien go way back

So, what other moves might the Patriots make? While DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy have been floated as potential trade possibilities, Zolak brought up the name of Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who caught 81 passes for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns with O'Brien as his head coach in 2020.

Zolak pleaded ignorance on Cooks when pushed by co-host Marc Bertrand but added a sly smile.

Cooks carries a $ 26.5 million cap hit with the Texans this season, so the Patriots probably would need to re-work his contract if they traded for him. But from a football perspective, the speedy 5-foot-10 wideout would be a good complement to bigger bodies like Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker.

There are also still wide receivers on the free-agent market (Odell Beckham Jr., anyone?) if New England wants to go that route. But Zolak appears to be telling us to stay tuned.

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