The New England Patriots have yet to add any top-level weapons this offseason, only agreeing to sign wide receiver Mack Hollins to a two-year deal.
Patriots fans certainly expected a lot more from their team in free agency, especially with New England owning the most cap room in the NFL.
The problem is that most of the market has dried up, and the Pats also watched as D.K. Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But could another star wide receiver be emerging as a potential trade candidate for the Patriots?
Sara Marshall of Musket Fire think so, naming New Orleans Saints wide out Chris Olave as someone New England could possibly pursue in a deal.
"The Patriots are struggling to find the right receiver to add to their roster. Their free agent options have only become more limited, so perhaps spending their second-round pick in this year's draft could be worth trading for a player like Olave," Marshall wrote. "That might have to be the path they go down if they want to really help Maye this upcoming season, and it's hard to say that would be a bad deal to make."
Here's the thing, though: Olave is under team control through 2026, so the Saints really don't have much of a reason to trade him right now. If New Orleans does field offers for him, it would probably be asking for more than a second-round pick in return.
That's where it gets dicey for the Pats, considering Olave suffered a couple of concussions this past season, which knocked him out for half the year. Overall, the 24-year-old has sustained five concussions since college, which is obviously a major concern.
When healthy, there is no doubt that Olave is a terrific receiver, as evidenced by the fact that he posted 1,000-yard campaigns in each of his first two seasons before missing half of 2024. But due to a variety of circumstances, it may be a difficult match for the Patriots in trade talks.
