There has been a lot of talk about the Patriots potentially trading for their next WR1 this offseason, given the very limited caliber of talent their offense needs.
The most popular player connected to them so far has been AJ Brown, but there was also speculation surrounding DJ Moore, who the Bears were willing to move on from for the right price.
There was a chance Mike Vrabel and Co. would be willing to send a mid-round pick to Chicago to acquire the 29-year-old, but instead, NFL insiders have just revealed that the Bills beat them to it and now Moore will become Josh Allen's next go-to weapon.
That surely shows the higher-ups in New England what they need to do next.
Trade! The Bears are sending veteran WR D.J. Moore to the Bills, sources say. pic.twitter.com/1jMPeGQSaH
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 5, 2026
The Patriots' defense now has a new receiver to worry about next season, but maybe more importantly, the team needs to prioritize getting their own next WR1 for Drake Maye.
The Patriots can't sit back and watch the Bills go above and beyond to improve their roster
Given the significant changes the Bills have undergone so far this offseason, particularly moving on from longtime head coach Sean McDermott, it's unsurprising that the new regime is already making some big-time moves to upgrade the roster.
It's even less shocking that new head coach Joe Brady was all-in on getting Moore onto the team, as he has previously coached the receiver, and the best seasons of his career were those two years.
Now the Patriots have a new challenge in a few ways, the most obvious being their defense. But they also now have more competition to remain the AFC East champions, as the Bills have just upgraded their offense in a way they need it, too.
This should force their hand to either go all-in on a player like Alec Pierce, who is considered the top receiver to hit the market next week, or pull off a trade of their own for someone like Brown, or maybe one of the lesser talked about pass catchers rumored to be on the trade block, like Brian Thomas Jr.
Since they already decided to move on from Stefon Diggs earlier this week, seeing their biggest divisional rival improve their team in this way should add even more fuel to the fire for Vrabel and Co. to get something done, as well.
We'll have to see what they're willing to do, since reports suggested they were either penny-pinching this offseason or willing to spend what was needed to upgrade the roster.