After using their first-round pick (No. 3 overall) on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, the New England Patriots haven't done much to surround him with the most talented weapons.
In fact, it could be argued that the Patriots have the worst receiver group in the league, as their top three (when healthy) appear to be Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn and DeMario Douglas.
That's not exactly the recipe for success for a young quarterback adjusting to the NFL game, and that's why they've been involved in trade discussions for a veteran like Brandon Aiyuk.
However, after removing themselves from that negotiation,
Another option that the Patriots should consider targeting is Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who appears to be holding in for a new contract.
It's unlikely that Cincinnati would ever actually trade the wideout, but Bleacher Report's Alex Kay has suggested multiple trade scenarios for the three-time Pro Bowler.
In one of the scenarios, Kay has the Patriots receiving Chase for a package that includes a 2025 first-round pick, a 2025- third-round pick and Douglas.
Here's part of what Kay had to say about the potential deal:
"Even with Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker—second- and fourth-round draft selections in 2024—now in the mix, Chase would elevate New England's offense to new heights and give the club a true No. 1 receiver for the first time in years. Considering the Patriots haven't employed a receiver as gifted as Chase since Randy Moss left in 2010, that would be money well spent.
Considering New England just landed an additional Round 3 pick in the Matthew Judon trade, the team can easily afford to ship first- and third-round selections over to the Bengals in exchange for Chase. Adding Demario Douglas, the team's top producing wideout as a rookie last year, should sweeten the pot a bit too."
If this is the asking price for arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL today, New England should make that call immediately.
Yes, their first-round pick next year could be a valuable one, potentially even the top pick in the league, but are they going to get Maye a better weapon than Chase? That seems unlikely.
Douglas is a good player and showed plenty of potential as a sixth-round rookie out of Liberty in 2023, but on a good team, he'd probably be a third option.
If Eliot Wolf has the ability to add a player of Chase's caliber, he has to pull the trigger.
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