Although the 2025 NFL Draft has been the main topic over the past two weeks due to the Combine, free agency begins in less than two weeks and will inevitably dominate headlines with the number of changes to every roster. The Patriots will be one of the most talked about teams, as they have the highest cap space to utilize and are expected to make significant moves to improve the roster.
Part of their free agency is expected to include trades, some of which have already been speculated about, especially for positions of need. Whether Mike Vrabel and Co. will pull off any blockbuster moves is unclear, but there is at least some consideration on the matter within the organization.
Among those include players with connections to the new regime, like Eagles receiver A.J. Brown, who was on the Titans roster during Vrabel's time as head coach. It seems unlikely that he'll be moved, given that Philadelphia just won the Super Bowl, but nobody is off limits in the NFL.
Fortunately, there is one player already being dangled on the trade market who should interest the Patriots, especially since he would immediately help a weak part of the offensive roster.
There's no reason the Patriots shouldn't be in on trading for tight end Michael Mayer
It's well known that the Patriots have struggled to find impactful tight ends since Rob Gronkowski abruptly retired after the 2018 season and weren't lucky to find the right guy until Hunter Henry joined the team during the 2021 free agency spending spree by Bill Belichick.
In the four years since, Henry has had the best years of his career in Foxboro and signed an extension this past offseason, which is one of the best decisions of the Jerod Mayo era. But finding a suitable No. 2 hasn't been as easy, although Austin Hooper did have some flashy moments last season.
If the goal of Vrabel and Co. is to sign a younger tight end, looking into Raiders' Michael Mayer, who Josh McDaniels drafted during his time with the team, might be the right move. Las Vegas is reportedly shopping Mayer since they selected top tight end prospect Brock Bowers last year, allowing the Patriots to snag a young and promising player.
"The Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer, according to league sources. Mayer hasn’t had the impact the Raiders hoped for when he was drafted in the second round in 2023. He had just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie. He missed six games due to personal reasons in 2024 and was delegated to a marginal role due to the ascent of tight end Brock Bowers, who was named a first-team All-Pro."
While his stats don't jump off the page, things haven't been great for the Raiders offensively over the past several years. Other than questionable quarterback play, there has been a lot of turnover of the coaching staff, inevitably impacting the team's production on the field.
It certainly has impacted Mayer's performance, which doesn't make him seem like a player the Patriots should necessarily target. However, he's still on a rookie contract, so he wouldn't be expensive to acquire nor roster, and he was considered one of the best tight ends of the 2023 class for a reason.
He has a lot of potential and could learn from an impressive veteran like Henry in New England. He could also work with McDaniels again, who clearly felt he was a great player. It seems like a win/win for all involved, but it will rely on what the Raiders want in return, whether the Patriots will bite.