The Patriots spent the first day of unofficial free agency watching teams around the league sign nearly all of the top wide receivers who were available, while they scrambled to figure out what direction they should go in at the position.
They were reportedly going all-in to get Alec Pierce, who was set to hit free agency for the first time in his career, only to be passed on for less money to return to the Colts. Other top names like Mike Evans signed elsewhere, too, leaving the Patriots at the top of the list of most likely teams to trade for their next WR1, and AJ Brown continues to be their top link.
That's still possible, but another name has now been thrown into the mix: Chris Olave. NFL insider Josina Anderson shared that the Patriots are connected to the Saints' pass catcher and could be exploring a potential trade if New Orleans is willing to listen.
She still believes that Brown is the preferred option, however.
Names like Chris Olave, Romeo Doubs have come up in #Patriot considerations. Watch below: https://t.co/EgjPEw0REa
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 10, 2026
If Brown becomes untouchable, the Patriots have every reason to go after Olave, maybe even for the same trade package they'd be willing to offer for Brown.
Chris Olave is another wide receiver that Patriots fans can add to their list of dream (but possible?) trades
Olave is just 25 years old and would give Drake Maye a weapon to grow with for the next several years, which is a bonus that we couldn't say about some of the other wide receiver options who went into free agency.
There are injury concerns when it comes to Brown, on top of his age, so Olave is more appealing in that aspect, as he has only dealt with an injury in the 2024 season. Otherwise, he's only missed a handful of games since he was a first-round pick in the 2022 draft.
Over the last four years, he has recorded 1,000+ receiving yards in three, fell just short of double-digit touchdowns last year, and has logged an impressive catch percentage despite the long list of quarterbacks he has worked with to start his NFL career.
If the Saints were foolish enough to trade him away, the Patriots could immediately find their next WR1 and for the long haul. He's exactly what their offense needs and would allow Maye to thrive the most he has so far, while adding reliability and explosiveness to their offensive game plan.
The price tag might be a bit high, as they'd likely want a first-round pick in return. But reports claimed they offered that to the Eagles for Brown, so why wouldn't they make the same offer for a younger player?
We'll have to see what they end up doing, but at least Olave appears to be on their radar, and maybe we'll hear more about the Saints dangling him to receiver-needy teams, too.