As the New England Patriots look to build under Mike Vrabel, one NFL insider thinks they may find a weapon for Drake Maye via a deal with the Washington Commanders.
Quite a bit of the Patriots offseason has revolved around trying to put pieces around Drake Maye, with the drafting of offensive lineman Will Campbell and the acquisition of wide receiver Stefon Diggs being two key highlights.
It’s going to be a while before the Patriots are contenders, but they’re putting long-term building blocks in place that should see them take a few leaps forward.
One NFL insider, however, has them in line to make a trade that would result in a significant jump forward in both talent and expectations, and it doesn’t seem particularly far from reality.
Albert Breer links Patriots to Terry McLaurin, says they are ‘very interested’
Speaking to NBC Sports Boston, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer linked Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin as a potential trade target for the New England Patriots, amid his contract impasse with the team.
“I think the Patriots would be very interested in this,” Breer said. “There’s a price point for all of it, and what would that mean? Obviously, he’s not going to come here with an unresolved contract situation, so you’d be talking about a draft pick plus a contract.
“He’s a little older than people realize because he was a five-year college guy. He’ll be 30 in September. Certainly, as far as what they’re looking for — from a person, a player, helping Drake Maye, etc. — this guy checks every box.”
McLaurin hasn’t been shy about expressing his frustration with the slow pace of negotiations with the Commanders following a successful 2024 season, saying on Tuesday that he ‘wanted to be here‘ but was becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress in discussions, hinting at a holdout as training camp looms.
McLaurin would be a great pickup for New England
In some ways, this is a reporting of the obvious, as it’s easy to see why New England would be interested in McLaurin. After five straight seasons of a thousand yards, and two Pro Bowls, he’s firmly established himself as one of the best receivers in the league, even before getting a talented quarterback like Jayden Daniels to work with.
His arrival in New England would see him link up with another talented youngster in Drake Maye, and he’d almost instantly shoot to the top of Maye’s target list if he put the jersey on. While he’s heading for the dreaded 30-year-old age cliff, some veteran leadership and proven talent at receiver could be just what New England needs as it seeks to improve following a few seasons in the doldrums.
It still seems likely that the Commanders find a way to pay their man, particularly coming off an NFC Championship appearance largely down to the chemistry between himself and Daniels, but nothing’s ever certain in the NFL. The New England front office will be keeping the lines open just in case.
