Patriots Mailbag: Should Pats Swing Trade For Star Receiver?

Mailbag time! Let’s dive into your latest New England Patriots questions ahead of Sunday’s trip to Dallas.

@BigHuncho3722
Give me your top trade candidates at the deadline
I’m really interested to see if they go after a high-end receiver. I was higher on their current group than most entering the season, but JuJu Smith-Schuster’s inauspicious start has really hurt them.

It’s still early. Maybe Smith-Schuster eventually develops that necessary on-field mind meld with Mac Jones and regains some of the explosiveness he showed in previous seasons.

But if he continues to perform the way he has through three weeks (10 catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns), a lack of top-shelf talent is going to continue to drag down the Patriots’ passing game, which has created an NFL-low three plays of 20-plus yards so far this season.

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I’m skeptical that the Patriots would make a major move midseason, if only because they haven’t done so in years. They stood pat at each of the last two trade deadlines (this year’s is Oct. 31) and haven’t traded for a player of note during the season since Mohamed Sanu in 2019. And even he doesn’t qualify as a true “big name” acquisition. The only ones of those who come to mind are post-suspension Josh Gordon in 2018 and Aqib Talib in 2012.

But, never say never with Bill Belichick. And the Patriots do have the salary cap flexibility, with a league-high $120 million in available space for 2024, to add a legit wideout if they so choose.

Who could they get? Here are four (possibly unrealistic) candidates would would liven up this offense:

Mike Evans
Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were unable to find common ground on a contract extension, setting him up to hit free agency after this season. He’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in all nine of his NFL seasons and hasn’t fallen off at age 30, ranking top-10 in yards, yards per reception and touchdown catches through three weeks.

Evans would be an ideal midseason pickup for a contending team, but the Bucs have been friskier than expected and should be very much in the mix for a division title in the wide-open NFC South. So, they might not be keen to move one of their best players. But that’s a call worth making if you’re the Patriots.

Tee Higgins
Similar situation with a much younger player. The Bengals reportedly are unlikely to reach an extension with Higgins, who is in the final year of his rookie deal. Cincinnati general manager Duke Tobin called trade rumors involving the 24-year-old “ridiculous” back in February, but months of inaction on the contract front may have shifted that stance.

Given his age, Higgins likely would be pricier to acquire than the veteran Evans, and he might only become available if this Bengals season really goes sideways after a 1-2 start. He topped 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons as the No. 2 behind Ja’Marr Chase, including an eight-catch, 128-yard, one-touchdown performance at Gillette Stadium last December.

The Patriots do have a history of acquiring players who had big games against them in the past.

Jerry Jeudy
There was a lot of chatter linking Jeudy to the Patriots this past offseason. The Broncos opted not to trade him then, but if their nosedive continues under new coach Sean Payton, anything is on the table in Denver.

Jeudy played for a noted Patriots feeder program at Alabama, and though he’s never caught more than 70 passes or topped 1,000 yards in a season, he’s always been saddled with mediocre-at-best quarterback play. The 24-year-old also has an additional year left on his contract (his fifth-year option in 2024).

The injury history concerns me, though. Jeudy already has missed one game this season after sitting out two in 2022 and seven in 2021. Is it really in the Patriots’ best interest to add another injury-prone wideout?

Davante Adams
This would be the biggest swing of the four. Adams still has four years left on the massive deal he signed after his trade to Las Vegas, so the Patriots would need to be willing to both give up what it would take to acquire the 30-year-old and take on his contract. Historically, they haven’t been interested in paying top dollar for wideouts.

Adams might still be the best receiver in the league, though, and with the Raiders rapidly approaching dumpster-fire territory, they could be looking to move him. He’d easily be the most talented pass-catcher Mac Jones has played with in his NFL career, and there are the obvious Patriots connections in Vegas (head coach Josh McDaniels, general manager Dave Ziegler) to facilitate a deal.

Would Raiders fans hate McDaniels for trading arguably his best player to the coach’s former team? Surely. But it’s not like they don’t already.

(Side note: If you’re looking for a cheaper, more on-brand target, Hunter Renfrow has seen just three targets in three games for the Raiders this season.)

@Leeeeeeg98
Would you say there is a good chance the team is full healthy in week 5 ? Other than Ekuale and Marcus of course…but do u believe everyone else will be healthy by then ?
We haven’t heard any recent updates on their statuses, but the Patriots do have a number of players who will be eligible to rejoin the 53-man roster next week.

Cornerback Jack Jones, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton and offensive lineman Riley Reiff all can come off injured reserve ahead of next Sunday’s home matchup with New Orleans. Defensive end Trey Flowers and special teamer Cody Davis also will be able to return from the physically unable to perform list.

The Patriots’ secondary has held up surprisingly well without Jack Jones, Marcus Jones and Jonathan Jones, thanks in large part to the play of Defensive Rookie of the Month Christian Gonzalez. But getting Jack back would really help from a depth perspective. He showed flashes of Pro Bowl potential as a rookie last season.

As for Thornton, his elite speed theoretically should boost a passing game that’s struggled to connect on deep balls. But he’s been so inconsistent in his two Patriots seasons that I won’t believe he can be a reliable contributor until I see him do it.

Reiff would be a candidate to start at right tackle once he’s back, though he didn’t perform especially well there in training camp. The Patriots were using him at guard before his injury. And Flowers could replace some of the interior pass-rushing they lost with Daniel Ekuale’s move to IR if the three-time Super Bowl champ has anything left in the tank.

The Patriots had yet to fill Ekuale’s roster spot as of Friday, which could mean they expect to get at least one of these players back next week. But that’s purely speculation

@strong48232
After the first 3 games, do you see the Patriots a playoff team? Also, what areas we really need to approve or positions the Patriots need to upgrade.
I predicted before the season that the Patriots would win 10 games and make the playoffs, and I still think they can get there. Their schedule, viewed as one of the hardest in the NFL entering the season, really doesn’t look that tough.

You can point to at least eight remaining games that the Patriots should win: home vs. Saints (possibly with backup QB Jameis Winston), at Raiders, vs. Commanders, vs. Colts in Germany, at Steelers, at Broncos and vs. Jets in Week 18. I also like their chances this week against Dallas and when the Los Angeles Chargers visit Gillette Stadium in early December.

The two games against Buffalo, road matchup in Miami and home game against Kansas City will be tough, for sure. But the Patriots are talented and well-coached enough to give any team in the NFL a game. We saw that in Weeks 1 and 2.

Maybe I’m more optimistic about this group than I should be, but I still see a wild-card team when I look at New England.