With rumors of a trade for AJ Brown continuing, there is room to discuss whether he would be the right player for the Patriots to go after. He would certainly add a level to the receiving corps they don't currently have, and immediately become the WR1 they have lacked for years.
But the concerns regarding his age and injury history are valid, as is the possible unseriousness on the Eagles ' part about actually trading him this offseason.
That should force the Patriots to consider other options, and, based on recent intel, it would be wise to consider someone like Puka Nacua. He would likely cost about the same as a trade for Brown, but the Rams superstar is younger and more explosive than the veteran, so there is higher upside for the Patriots to invest in.
Although there are lingering concerns about his behavior, which have been very public as of late, that shouldn't necessarily deter Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf from exploring what a trade could entail and how much better the offense would be for Drake Maye if Nacua were part of it.
There was reason to believe that the Rams wouldn't be willing to move on from the 24-year-old, but Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic is saying otherwise, and that should, at the very least, start a conversation in Foxboro.
The Rams might be more willing to move off superstar players than anyone initially thought
According to Rodrigue, the attitude in Los Angeles has shifted in recent years under Sean McVay: players used to be considered untouchable, but now the only player who appears to fit that description is Aaron Donald, who retired after the 2023 season.
That means that Nacua isn't off limits for the Patriots, or any other receiver-needy team, to inquire about, and maybe the Rams would be more inclined to move him now more than ever.
"And, I'd just add this: Let's not pretend that any Rams player outside of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald has ever been completely untouchable.
Since 2021, McVay has pivoted from a former franchise quarterback (Jared Goff) and a fan-favorite franchise receiver (Cooper Kupp), and the Rams even engaged briefly in trade talks about a receiver who McVay intensely pursued in free agency just one year ago (Davante Adams)."
There had been rumblings that the Patriots were interested in Davante Adams, but nothing came to fruition. The same thing was said about the Eagles nearing a deal with the Rams for Brown, but that deal didn't happen, either.
And while that doesn't mean that they're willing to move on from Nacua, they clearly don't view productive players as untouchable, as Rodrigue noted about some of their most recent trades and releases, so there's reason to believe that Nacua could be moved, too.
It would probably cost an arm and a leg to get it done, and that's something the Patriots would have to consider. However, given his age, his impressive career so far, and how much he would elevate their offense, there's no reason to close the door on a possible blockbuster trade, especially if the Eagles aren't inching any closer to moving Brown any time soon.