Did Russell Wilson trade just help Patriots in quest to find No. 1 receiver?
By Jerry Trotta
It’s crazy to think how long the New England Patriots have gone without boasting a preeminent wide receiver. Even team icon Tom Brady couldn’t overcome the unit’s deficiencies in his final season with the franchise in 2019.
The good news is the Patriots appear motivated to pave over this long-standing pothole. The bad news? On Tuesday alone, free agents Davante Adams, Mike Williams and Chris Godwin were all retained by their respective teams.
This could force Bill Belichick to turn his attention to the trade market, which lost its own attainable star when Calvin Ridley was hit with a season-long ban on Monday for gambling on NFL games, including some Falcons fixtures.
Since the NFL offseason is the gift that keeps on giving, the Seahawks’ decision to trade Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos could give the Patriots a fast-track to end their quest for a No. 1 receiver.
Does the name Tyler Lockett pique anyone’s interest?
The #Patriots should call Seattle about Tyler Lockett.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) March 8, 2022
He's 30, durable, coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons and has 4 years left on his deal.
He'd carry a $3 million cap hit next season and $9.7 million in 2023, but none of his salary is guaranteed after this year.
The Patriots should explore a trade for Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett … or DK Metcalf.
It couldn’t hurt, right?
While Lockett doesn’t fit the mold of a No. 1 receiving option like Adams, DeAndre Hopkins or AJ Brown, each of whom are 6-foot-1 and weigh over 210 pounds, his 5-foot-8, 182-pound frame has been giving defenses fits for years.
As the tweet above notes, Lockett’s ripped off three straight 1,000-yard seasons and has caught 255 passes during that span. His 36 receiving touchdowns rank fifth in the NFL over that stretch behind Adams, Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill and Adam Thielen.
With Lockett entering his age-30 season, it wouldn’t come as a shock if Seattle looked to unload him in the name of acquiring more draft capital.
Never one to shy away from trading for a receiver, poaching Lockett from a rebuilding team would qualify as a classic Belichick move. Despite being undersized, the former third-round pick has missed just two games in seven seasons.
Trade package:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2022
Seattle gets QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-round pick.
Denver gets Russell Wilson and a fourth-round pick.
While the Patriots should still inquire about signing a big-bodied WR to help rectify their red zone woes, a trio of Lockett, Kendrick Bourne, who’s fresh off a career year, and the underrated Jakobi Meyers would give Mac Jones a solid arsenal.
It’s unclear what the Seahawks’ intentions are for Lockett and DK Metcalf after trading their franchise quarterback, but Lockett being the elder of the two by some six years makes him the more likely candidate to be traded. That said … inquiring about Metcalf couldn’t hurt, especially since we’ve seen him plenty frustrated on the Seahawks’ sidelines last year.
If it comes to that, the Patriots better have an offer at the ready, because both probably won’t last on the market for very long.
