5 Reasons Patriots MUST Acquire Tony Gonzalez or Hakeem Nicks

Tony Gonzalez bids farewell to the Georgia Dome crowd.

The Giants (0-5) and Falcons (1-4) are falling fast and will soon be out of contention. Both teams have skilled receivers who could help New England's offense get back on track. Here is why the Patriots need to pull the trigger on a trade (if either becomes available):

5. Uncertainty With Injuries

Danny Amendola returned last week, and Rob Gronkowski is slated to be back this Sunday. Can the Patriots survive if either of these top 2 targets goes down? 

Both Nicks and Gonzalez are durable and tough; they will do whatever it takes to get to the finish line. I would take my chances down the stretch with either of these guys over rookies and injury-prone veterans.

5 Reasons Belichick Won't Cut Tebow...Yet

Tim Tebow and Josh McDaniels

5. Redeeming Josh McDaniels 
In 2010, then Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels moved up into the 1st Round of the NFL draft (25th Overall) to select quarterback Tim Tebow. The pick was almost universally panned by analysts, and McDaniels was fired the following season. This could be his chance to prove the naysayers wrong.


4. Supporting Urban Meyer
The mutual admiration society between Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer goes all the way back to 2005, when Meyer took the Florida head coaching job. He has come under fire recently for some of the off-the-field problems of his former players (Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper et al). Belichick could do him a solid by keeping and utilizing Tebow as a weapon on the Patriots squad.

What Spygate Teaches Us About Hernandez & the 2013 Patriots

The New England Patriots face one of the biggest off-field distractions in team history. The season has barely begun, yet the team faces intense scrutiny from fans and experts alike. Media hordes descend upon Foxboro, MA looking to interrogate Kraft, Belichick or any other Patriots personnel. We are left to wonder: How will the Patriots respond to this uncomfortable and challenging situation?

If this narrative sounds immediately familiar to you, it's probably because the Patriots went through an analagous crisis in 2007.

In a scandal that was dubbed "Spygate" by the national sports media, the Patriots failed to comply with videotaping regulations set forth by the NFL. The team was fined $250,000 and docked a first round pick in the 2008 draft. Coach Bill Belichick was also personally fined $500,000 for his role in the affair. The team, already disliked/envied nationally for their recent run of success, suddenly had an even larger target on their backs.

So how did the Patriots respond? They turned their shame into one of the most memorable regular seasons in NFL football history. In many ways, their actions in 2007 could show us the blueprint for how they plan to respond this season: