Patriots reportedly interested in veteran WR Tyler Boyd

The Patriots might have missed out on Calvin Ridley, but New England is reportedly keeping tabs on another veteran wideout in free agency.

According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, the Patriots have expressed interest in former Bengals pass-catcher Tyler Boyd, who spent the first eight seasons of his career in Cincinnati. 

Per Daniels, that level of interest at this point with the Patriots “is the team is doing its due diligence,” but Boyd could be an appealing option as a slot receiver in Foxborough.

Boyd has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, including a standout 2019 campaign where the University of Pittsburgh product reeled in 90 catches with 1,046 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

During the 2023 season, Boyd started 13 of 17 games, catching 67 passes for 667 yards and two touchdowns.

Even though Ridley could have served more as an outside, No. 1 option in New England, Boyd would give the Patriots a dependable inside option to pair with second-year pro Demario Douglas.

According to Daniels, Boyd lined up inside for 672 snaps with the Bengals in 2023 — to go along with 151 snaps on the outside.

Ridley might have been the top target for the Patriots in free agency, but there are several other options available beyond Boyd. With Ridley off the board, the next man up for New England might be ex-Chargers wideout Mike Williams.

Williams, who was released by the cap-crunched Chargers on Wednesday, surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in two of his seven seasons with Los Angeles. But the 29-year-old, 6-foot-4 pass-catcher did miss most of the 2023 season with a torn ACL.