Patriots Super Bowl Champion Proposes Bold Offseason Trade For Star Wideout

BOSTON — The New England Patriots looked better in their Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears, improving to 3-7 on the season. That puts them in an interesting position regarding their slot in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Patriots aren’t far removed from holding the No. 1 overall pick prior to Sunday’s win, which dropped them further down the top 10. The rest of the season will further determine the ultimate position of need, whether that’s an offensive tackle, a standout pass-catcher or maybe someone totally different.

If it were up to WEEI host and Super Bowl XXXVI champion Jermaine Wiggins, he’d be in the mindset to trade down and make an even bigger splash to help out young quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots.

“If it was me, I would trade down,” Wiggins told NESN.com Friday at the Pedro Martinez Foundation gala. “Try to package up some picks and I would try to see how many picks I could put together and see if Cincinnati’s willing to move on from Ja’Marr Chase. That’s what I would be wanting to do if they’re not going to pay him.”

Chase would send the Patriots’ offense to an entirely new planet of possibilities. He showed just why he’s among the elite receivers in all of football. He torched the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10 for 11 catches, three of those for touchdowns, and a whopping 264 yards. He’s a bonafide No. 1 option who already played in a Super Bowl and still might be playing ahead of his prime.

That has to be enticing. It just comes down to whether the Patriots can meet an asking price and, more importantly, whether Chase and the Bengals truly are headed for a split. Chase sat out in training camp in search of a new deal with two years left on his contract. If an extension does not get done in Cincinnati, the Patriots should, obviously, inspect that situation.

If not, Wiggins found himself fascinated at the college level with wideout Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona. The junior receiver leads the nation with 1,066 yards to go with six touchdowns.

The Patriots are going to need to find Maye an elite wideout at some point, not that they didn’t try this summer. Ultimately, Wiggins believes that needs to be a proven NFL weapon.

“I would try to move down a little bit and see if I can maybe squeeze a guy who might be looking to leave his current team,” Wiggins said.