The Patriots must reload.

Fortunately for their fans, after a 4-13 finish last season and zero playoff wins in five years, the Pats are flush with salary cap space with NFL free agency beginning next week.

With over $100 million in room, the Patriots have the most cap room in the league and need to start spending cash to hit the league’s spending floor. The NFL’s open tampering period begins Monday at noon ET, when teams are permitted to contact and enter into contract negotiations with the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents. The new league year officially begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, when teams are able to execute a new contract with free agents.

After parting ways with Bill Belichick this offseason, they have new leadership in head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting — and de facto general manager — Eliot Wolf, who brought on an almost entirely new staff on offense and a supplemented defensive staff.

The team hit rock bottom in 2023 and now has needs across a mostly barren roster. To preview free agency, the Herald is publishing daily stories about free agents at key positions of need.

Wide receiver

It says something about an offense when half of its four leading pass-catchers are running backs.

That’s right. Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott caught more passes than virtually all of the Patriots’ wideouts in 2023. By the numbers or by the eye test, Patriots receivers bombed last season.

Source: Patriots placing transition tag on Kyle Dugger; what it means

The good news is, thanks to their cap space and draft capital, the Pats could remake the position in a single offseason. The bad news is, being a premium position, every NFL team finds itself in the wide receiver market in some form or fashion. And to truly deep clean their receivers room, the Pats would need to offload at least one of DeVante Parker or JuJu Smith-Schuster, who were effectively dead weight last year; and, in Smith-Schuster’s case, might cost them a late-round pick to trade away.

In the meantime, here are six receivers the Patriots could add next week in free agency:

Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley

The top wideout available, Ridley is coming off a 1,016-yard campaign that followed a year-long suspension for gambling. Ridley wins at all levels of the field and, more critically, against both man and zone coverage. The 2018 first-rounder boasts good size (6-1, 190) and long speed. After his time away, Ridley would arrive with less wear and tear than most players entering their age-30 season.

The only question is price tag. Will Ridley’s baggage be enough to keep costs lower than $20 million annually, roughly what Mike Evans received this week with his extension? If so, Ridley — who reached 1,374 yards in 2020 — could start Day 1 as a borderline No. 1 receiver for the Patriots.

Cardinals WR Marquise Brown

Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown makes a catch during training camp practice Aug. 9 in Glendale, Ariz. (Ross D. Franklin, AP)

The 26-year-old speedster is one of the few receivers available with a 1,000-yard season on his resume. He’s a former Ravens first-round pick, who’s started double-digit games in all five years of his career, while never finishing with fewer than 574 yards. Injuries have hampered Brown, who dealt with foot and heel issues the past two seasons in Arizona.

In New England, he would introduce elite speed and above-average quickness, a combination none of the team’s current receivers possess. Brown may top out as a No. 2 receiver, but that could work for this offseason, especially if his health cooperates. Another 1,000-yard season is not out of the question for the 5-foot-9, 180-pounder.

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd

An 8-year veteran, Boyd is a big-bodied possession receiver who works mostly out of the slot. He’s sure-handed and among the most reliable targets on the market. Entering his age-30 season, some teams will steer clear of Boyd. The Patriots shouldn’t be one of them, especially if he’s open to a short-term deal.

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Boyd not only has experience with new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who coached in Cincinnati from 2018-19, but he’s worked plenty with young quarterbacks. The former captain is also durable, appearing in at least 14 games every season since 2017. The Patriots showed Boyd immense respect during their last meeting with the Bengals in 2022, double-teaming him on third down and in the red zone, while he was surrounded rising stars Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Bills WR Gabriel Davis

Davis is the opposite of Boyd — a 24-year-old teeming with potential, whose inconsistency has been a hallmark of his game. Still, Davis’ rare size for a deep threat (6-2, 225) would provide a real boost for a Patriots offense in need of downfield juice. His 16.6 yards per catch average last season was a career low, yet still ranked seventh-best in the NFL.

Davis also finished with 45 catches for 746 yards and seven touchdowns.

Texans WR Noah Brown

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From starting-caliber players to value signings, Brown would represent a solid addition for the Patriots as a WR4. He’s coming off consecutive seasons with at least 550 yards, and averaged a ridiculous 17.2 yards per catch last season with the Texans. Brown also flashed a new upside in Houston, where he enjoyed two games with 150-plus receiving yards alongside a rookie quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has a history of contributing on special teams, which may have put him atop the Patriots’ board under Bill Belichick, but for now makes him a solid Plan C in this new era.

Ravens WR Devin Duvernay

Baltimore’s offense relegated Duvernay to the bench for most of last year, utilizing him primarily as a returner. Following a career-best 407 yards in 2022, Duvernay caught just four passes for 18 yards last season So why should he appeal to the Patriots?

Well, according to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, new de facto GM Eliot Wolf comes from a scouting system that prioritizes receivers with return ability and a knack for getting yards after the catch. That’s Duvernay.