Patriots dodged a massive bullet and now they can help Drake Maye before the trade deadline
The Patriots hold some strong cards heading into the final days before the trade deadline.
The New England Patriots have been sellers in the final days before the NFL trade deadline, but smoke is starting to form around the idea that they could be buyers, as well.
As it stands, the Patriots have 10 draft picks after the Kyle Dugger and Keion White trades. Their $51 million-plus in cap room leads the league. Meaning, they have all the resources needed to make an impactful trade if they wanted.
And a big reason why the Patriots have the capital to spend is because Chris Godwin Jr. passed them up in free agency. Remember, the Patriots were ready to offer him a gaudy $30 million per year, but he loves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so he took their offer of $22 million per year.
Well, what was an unfortunate development ultimately ended up working in the Patriots’ favor. Godwin wasn’t ready to return from his devastating 2024 injury until Week 4 and then he suffered a new fibula injury in Week 6. He has six catches for 52 yards on the year and has played 105 offensive snaps, in all, and it’s unclear when he’ll return from the latest injury.
Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs and Drake Maye have developed good chemistry and the passing attack is solid. The running game needs improvement, however, which is why trading for a running back makes sense.
But a receiver does, too. Either way, the Patriots can do whatever they want in terms of a strategy on their end. That’s not saying they’re going to go out and make a blockbuster trade or anything of the sort – but they can if they want.
Potential trade targets that make sense for the Patriots
Sticking purely within the vacuum that is Maye and the Patriots offense, the first name that comes to mind and also makes the most sense is New York Jets running back Breece Hall. His value has never been higher after a very strong performance in the team’s first win of the year, but the Pats could probably still stay behind the Day 2 threshold and avoid giving up anything more than a fourth and probably a low-end Day 3 pick (New England now has four sixth-rounders, by the way).
Chuba Hubbard is another name that makes sense, but it’d be a bit surprising to see the Carolina Panthers trade him. Dave Canales and the staff love what he brings to the table and they just gave him a big contract less than a year ago. The rise of Rico Dowdle could make all that moot, though.
Both players are do-it-all running backs with big-play ability. Either would make sense in the Patriots offense – but what about the receiver position?
Rashid Shaheed, the New Orleans Saints’ explosive wideout, is a guy who’s seen his name pop up in numerous discussions over the last week and change. He’d immediately add a new level of explosiveness to the passing attack and would be a perfect complement to Maye’s downfield attack.
Jauan Jennings is another name, albeit he’s battled some injuries over the last few weeks. Still, he’s a fiery competitor that is a quarterback’s best friend in terms of being in the right spot and making tough catches in traffic. He’s not explosive like Shaheed, but he’s more than capable of making big plays on a consistent basis, as he showed in 2024.
Tight end makes sense, if only for depth purposes. Right now the Patriots have just two tight ends on the 53-man roster and the two guys on the practice squad have played a grand total of one combined snap on offense since 2024. Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper have been serviceable, but adding a guy like Mark Andrews would not only add depth, it’d add another reliable pass catcher, as well.
Either way, the Patriots can control whatever they want when it comes to potentially acquiring someone at the trade deadline and while the Godwin Jr. miss isn’t the complete reason – it certainly plays a sizable role.
