Patriots Rumors: Here’s what an Adam Thielen trade could look like

If the Patriots decide to pursue a WR at the trade deadline, well, here’s what a deal for Vikings star Adam Thielen would look like.

We wouldn’t blame members of Patriots Nation who are growing tired of the team being linked with seemingly every wide receiver that is either on a team in free-fall mode or reportedly isn’t satisfied with his current target share.

After all, most of those rumors have withered and Bill Belichick hasn’t exactly made it clear that he’s in the market for a WR. Throw in the fact that quarterback Cam Newton has been adamant in declaring that the answers to the team’s offensive struggles are already part of the locker room and there’s literally no way to know what the front office’s intentions are.

However, it’s our job to relay all of the buzz that surfaces leading up to the Nov. 3 deadline and it just so happens that another pundit has linked another wideout to the Patriots.

On Tuesday, during the same segment in which he reported that Odell Beckham Jr. could be made available via trade over the next two weeks, First Things First co-host Nick Wright noted that Vikings star Adam Thielen fits the profile of a player Belichick generally likes to target.

"“I think quietly the Odell trade rumblings are coming back. While we were talking about the Browns, I had a really trusted person text me and say that Odell could be available,” Wright said. “And now they didn’t connect him to the Patriots — I’m connecting him to the Patriots — but I’m gonna throw another name at you who probably seems more Patriot-esque as far as their history with skill-position guys. I wonder if Adam Thielen’s available.“That team (Minnesota) stinks. They need draft picks. He’s on a very reasonable contract.”"

Thielen obviously doesn’t have Beckham’s box office appeal, but the statistics prove that he’s been more productive than the Browns star over the last three seasons. His volume is consistently up there with some of the best receivers in the NFL and he earned consecutive Pro Bowl nods in 2017 and 2018, across which he compiled 204 catches (on a whopping 295 targets) for 2,648 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The 30-year-old stud came back down to earth last season, but that was largely due to him missing six games with a lingering hamstring injury. However, he’s unsurprisingly picked up where he left off in 2018 this season, as he currently leads the league with seven touchdown catches.

For a player that excels at creating separation from defenders in man coverage, Thielen would be a perfect addition to the Patriots offense. Taking his proven track record and the fact that he’s locked up for the next four seasons into account, Belichick could probably get away with acquiring him for nothing more than second-round pick.

The only question remaining was whether the 1-5 Vikings would become sellers at the deadline. Well, they just traded star end Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore in exchange for a 2021 third-rounder and 2022 conditional fifth-rounder a few weeks after acquiring him in the first place. Yeah, this thing’s being disassembled for parts.

There you have it, Patriots fans. Nothing should stop Belichick from getting Minnesota GM Rick Spielman on the phone, because it seems like he’s a willing negotiator with his team currently sitting at the bottom of the NFC standings.

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