At this point in the offseason, not much is happening in the NFL, primarily because every team is on break ahead of training camp, which starts next month. Beyond that, though, most teams are not looking to add more players to their roster, including the Patriots, as it's more about evaluating the talent they already have rather than bringing in new players.
However, when you're a team like the Patriots, who still have around $60 million in cap space and want to build a competitive squad for the upcoming season, then you're consistently connected to players who might be on the trade block, like wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
The Commanders' star is seeking a new contract and has yet to reach an agreement on an extension, potentially leading to a holdout. That has prompted plenty of rumors about where McLaurin might land next, with the Patriots being a frontrunning team to land the superstar.
The latest trade proposal gets him in New England for a fairly reasonable price, which only makes the dream of Drake Maye having a 1-2 punch of WR1s on the team even stronger.
Bleacher Report's new trade proposal for Terry McLaurin might be too good to be true
There have been numerous trade proposals floated this offseason involving the Patriots acquiring McLaurin in some capacity. Most have been difficult to argue against, with the latest one from Bleacher Report's Mitchel Milani being another addition to that list.
Although it would see a fan favorite, Kendrick Bourne, traded to the Commanders, it gives Maye and the Patriots' offense a more trusted weapon to work with.
Because they're still expected to land in the middle of the pack for the 2026 Draft, Milani suggested a second-round pick would be the best option, which is likely why he threw in Kendrick Bourne to sweeten the deal. It would be too risky to suggest a 2026 first-round pick, given that the Patriots could still land in the top 10, and that's quite a hefty price for a player, even if it's someone as talented as McLaurin.
At this price, though, the Patriots would be big winners in adding the 29-year-old to their roster. Although he's not the young and fresh player that Mike Vrabel and Co. are building their team around, he's a proven talent who has recorded 1,000+ yard seasons in all but one year during his career, something the Patriots haven't seen since Julian Edelman retired.
McLaurin would add another layer to the explosive offense they want for Maye and be an impressive partner for Stefon Diggs to play alongside. Not to mention, sending a second-rounder to Washington isn't a terrible deal since they would likely use that pick on an offensive weapon, anyway.
On top of that, swapping Bourne for McLaurin wouldn't be a massive knock to the Patriots' offense, even if we saw the best year of his career with Josh McDaniels in 2021. He didn't appear to be the same player last season, coming off his ACL injury, which might make it easier for the team to part with him for a guaranteed contributor like McLaurin.
Now it becomes more about whether or not the Commanders can reach an agreement to keep McLaurin around for their young quarterback, Jayden Daniels, to work with. If not, there's no reason for the Patriots not to inquire, at the very least.