In his second offseason in charge of the Patriots, Eliot Wolf hit multitudes of home runs. First came the hiring of Mike Vrabel as New England’s head coach, reconstructing the defense and wide receiver groups via free agency, and nailing a draft in which many experts gave the Patriots high grades.
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Washington Commanders v Detroit Lions | Brooke Sutton/GettyImages
Heading into training camp, New England’s roster already looks significantly better than it did a season ago, when the team finished 4-13 for the second straight year. However, early July often brings surprising trades and players unhappy about their contracts.
As great as New England’s wide receiver room looks on paper, especially after scooping Stefon Diggs up in free agency, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Wolf swoop in and make another move or two.
A trade for Terry McLaurin would shock the NFL landscape
One player the Patriots could target is Terry McLaurin from the Washington Commanders. While McLaurin doesn’t invoke memories of Randy Moss, the 28-year-old is one of the league’s most dependable wideouts, having posted five straight 1,000-yard seasons.
McLaurin has been displeased with his contract this offseason, and Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox reported recently that the Patriots could be a potential trade destination for McLaurin.
Even though McLaurin is heading into a contract year, the Patriots have the combination of salary cap space to offer him an extension and the draft and roster capital – Knox suggested swapping a second-round pick and tight end Austin Hooper – to finalize a deal. It’s obvious the Commanders don’t want any drama surrounding their offense after Jayden Daniels led them to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie.
McLaurin would be a vital asset to New England’s wide receiver room given the combination of its youth and the fact that Diggs is coming off a torn ACL, and fellow free-agent addition Mack Hollins is essentially a depth piece.
Wolf should not be done looking to upgrade New England’s roster, and given McLaurin is unhappy with his contract in Washington, now is the time to pounce.
