When the Washington Commanders seemed to be headed for a stunning trade of top wide receiver Terry McLaurin one year after reaching the NFC Championship game, one of the few teams that constantly came up in hypothetical landing spots was the upstart New England Patriots.
Not only are the Patriots still in the process of scooping up talent as they try to build around young quarterback Drake Maye, but they also have the financial flexibility and need at the wide receiver position to warrant giving up some prized assets for one of the best veteran pass-catchers in the NFC.