The 2025 NFL trade deadline is upon us, and the Patriots are a team many reporters believe will be active before it's too late. They already made moves earlier this week by trading Kyle Dugger to the Steelers and Keion White to the 49ers, and they are expected to make more trades in the next few days.
There is a strong sense that they will be actively looking to add more firepower to their defensive line or offense, whether with a running back to help fill the void left by Antonio Gibson or another receiver to really put them over the top.
That has put New England in several conversations for some of the more notable names likely to be traded, including a few intriguing players in New Orleans, and it's not just Chris Olave, who they have been connected to over the last few weeks.
Now, ESPN's Ben Solak has suggested the Patriots look into trading for another receiver, Rashid Shaheed, who the Saints might be more inclined to move given his age and their preference to hold onto Olave.
ESPN analyst believes the Patriots should get on the phone with the Saints about a trade for Rashid Shaheed
For much of the last five years, and arguably before that, too, the Patriots have been in a position of needing a wide receiver to level up their receiving corps. That became an even bigger issue after Julian Edelman's retirement, which is why Mike Vrabel prioritized the position this past offseason.
It's already paid off with Stefon Diggs on track for another 1,000+ yard season, along with the rise of Kayshon Boutte, not far behind. So there is certainly an argument to be made that adding another pass catcher isn't crucial to the Patriots' success this year.
However, that doesn't mean much in Solak's eyes, who feels Shaheed would be too good an addition for New England to pass up, citing his lower cost as more desirable and his speed as a prominent reason to get a trade done.
"Both Chris Olave and Shaheed should be targets, but Shaheed would probably cost less and also fits better into the spread-the-wealth style of quarterback Drake Maye.
Shaheed brings a field-tipping speed element that is woefully absent in New England's current receiving corps, and he could be easily extended while keeping plenty of salary cap space open for a gigantic WR1 contract in March."
He certainly makes a fair point, and it's difficult to shut down the idea of giving Maye even more weapons to work with. But after trading Dugger and White, on top of needing a more dominant pass rusher, it might be more worthwhile for the Patriots to explore their options on defense instead of adding another receiver.
That has become a growing talking point over the last few weeks, and has only grown since they made those trades earlier this week. There might be some interesting players to consider in those positions, but if not, then perhaps Shaheed would be a good option to inquire about.
Regardless, it's good to see the Patriots are in a position to be buyers and sellers ahead of next week's deadline. They now have a team that players will want to play for, too, with Vrabel in as the head coach and Maye under center.
That will work in their favor moving forward, and should be a significant benefit going into next offseason.