3 wide receiver trades that could shake up the Patriots in 2023

Option Two: Acquire the 2021 OPOY from LA

Now, this is where things get a bit crazy, but hear me out.

While the Rams were able to do a lot to acquire some of their top talents during their 2021 championship run (trading for Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, and even Sony Michel), a lot of this was at the cost of their draft picks.

In this year’s draft, the Rams currently hold a second-round pick, two third-round picks, and a few day three picks. However, as the Rams’ championship window continues to close over the next few months, the front office may be looking to acquire more picks and young talent.

This is where the Patriots come in. Kupp would immediately become New England’s primary option on offense and become a vacuum for receptions in Bill O’Brien’s new offense.

However, the price for Kupp should be expected to be steep. Kupp is entering his age-30 season, and while Kupp is on the older side for a receiver, you would expect Kupp to be worth a bit more value than the typical 30-year-old receiver.

A good basis for Kupp’s value could be to look at how much the Dolphins gave up for Tyreek Hill a year ago. In that trade, the Dolphins sent the Chiefs five picks. Three in 2022 (a first, second, and fourth), and two in 2023 (a fourth and a sixth).

Here’s a similar package New England could put together, assuming this trade goes down post-June 1st for cap-saving reasons.

Now, is this a move we would typically see the Patriots make? Absolutely not.

In the most significant trade the Patriots have made at receiver in team history (the deal for Randy Moss), New England gave up just a fourth-round pick to get him. Of course, this deal would look a bit different than that, and this typically isn’t how Belichick does business.

However, in a time of desperation, the Patriots could end up inevitably making a splash at WR. In this situation, the Patriots land Kupp.

I held off giving the Rams as much, or more than the Chiefs got for Tyreek Hill for various reasons. First, Tyreek was younger, the Dolphins had to give him a new contract at the time of that deal, and the value of wide receivers across the league seems that it may have declined a bit.

Even in this deal, the Rams can stockpile multiple picks for the next couple of seasons. They trade their star receiver to help kickstart their rebuild, and the Patriots finally get their hands on a true number-one receiver.