August ushers in the last of the summer’s disgruntled stars and contract holdouts across the NFL, and the New England brass wants fans to know they’re monitoring those situations.
“We’re talking to all 31 other teams, trying to do what’s best for us. If that presents itself, I think those things are often more complicated than fans and some others would like to make you believe,” executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Monday, before practice.
When asked whether the Patriots would be willing to part with a second, or even first-round pick, Wolf said “sure.”
Whether that’s to be believed or not, New England should be serious about considering a big trade – even this late in the preseason, with this young of a team.
The most obvious marriage for the 2025 Patriots would be bringing in wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the Commanders veteran who wants a bigger contract after helping rookie Jayden Daniels and the team to the conference championship last year. Even though he’s on the wrong side of 30, McLaurin has countless desirable attributes for the Patriots: he’s a 1,000+ yard receiver every season, a deep threat, and malleable to working with different quarterbacks and in different offenses. The Patriots should extend themselves as far as packaging multiple picks, as high as in the second-round, and roster players – and then, pay around a Tee Higgins-level salary ($28.75 million AAV). McLaurin shows no signs of serious wear and tear, and by all accounts, he’s a high-character vet. For all those reasons, and more, the Commanders probably won’t part with him. But if they reach the point they’ll seriously consider trade offers, New England has the opportunity to dangle a tasty one.
Now, there’s a real argument against spending a lot of money – and more importantly, draft capital – on a team that seems so…undefined. Does it make sense to take away from a future, maybe better, team, in order to improve a mediocre team this year? Why bring in a 30+ year-old player like Trey Hendrickson for a lot of money and picks just to…maybe add two wins? Maybe get into the playoffs?
The answer has to be: if not now, then when? When Maye’s cost explodes in a few years? Wolf cited his rookie status Monday as a reason the team has so much room against the salary cap, (nearly $60 million, far and away the most in the NFL). Or is it after Christian Gonzalez gets a big paycheck, next year? Is it better to line any expenditure age-wise with an expected improvement that will come with maturity of the team, rather than carry a 34-year-old receiver’s money on the books when those bills come due?
There’s no betting that the team will be in a better position next year, or the year after that, or the year after that – that there will be a clear-cut time to go in on a big trade. Rebuilds aren’t always linear – just ask the Bengals. Bringing in a piece like McLaurin, (or Hendrickson, or Micah Parsons), may not take an 8-win team to a 14-win team, but it lifts the burden off Maye, if even just a bit.
There’s also the question of who’s in charge of these trades. Wolf insists, at the end of the day, heavy is his crown. But he’s the guy who’s paying Kyle Dugger more than $15 million this year, only to play through the fourth quarter of a preseason game. With Mike Vrabel and Ryan Cowden in the building, the Patriots should be better positioned to evaluate (and negotiate for) talent.
Free agency has also been a dry well for certain positions, such as wide receiver. The only notable offensive skills player they’ve been able to land since 2021 is Stefon Diggs, who was in the midst of an ACL rehab. So, a trade might be the best shot at getting a guy for Maye.
Either way, this is franchise who’s asked fans to wait…and wait…and wait for the return to relevancy. More patience may very well be required to get back to championships of any kind, but in the meantime, do they have to borrow tomorrow’s problems, today?