Throughout the Bill Belichick era in New England, the Patriots rarely made a blockbuster trade for a superstar, no matter how badly the roster needed him. Even the most notable players that come to mind, like Randy Moss, did not fit that criterion, since the Raiders sent the receiver to Foxboro for just a fourth-round pick.
It's something fans grew tired of, especially later in Tom Brady's career, when it was clear he could still compete for a Super Bowl but needed better talent around him. So the hope with Robert Kraft hiring Mike Vrabel was that would change, and in some ways, it has.
The decision to trade for A.J. Brown was a start, with the Patriots sending a first-round pick to the Eagles to bring in the wide receiver. But they now have a chance to make an even bigger move this year, with the Colts reportedly open to offers for 3-time Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor.
The longtime foe is in the middle of a fire sale to fund a major rebuild the franchise has long needed, so they've made the tough decision to dangle Taylor to see what they can get in return.
Although the current rumor is that they want a first-round pick and more, it's increasingly unlikely they will get that deal, which keeps the Patriots in the picture, even if they're unlikely to make a serious move to acquire the running back.
Given their need for help in the backfield, particularly with TreVeyon Henderson missing another game, Taylor fits the bill and would be the perfect move for Vrabel and Co. to make.
Jonathan Taylor would solve a lot of problems for the Patriots - at a high price
Heading into the 2026 season, optimism ran high about how good the running back room could be, with Rhamondre Stevenson continuing to lead the charge and Henderson entering Year 2 after a pretty solid rookie campaign.
Much of that faded once Henderson missed the first game of the year, and deepened over the weeks as it became clear his biggest weaknesses were still apparent; now that he's going to miss their Week 8 matchup with the Dolphins, the idea of Taylor has become more intriguing.
It feels like it's been forever since the Patriots had a superstar running back on their roster, even if Stevenson has been far better than expected since he was drafted.
Taylor has consistently been one of the best at his position since the Colts selected him in the second round in 2020. In the six seasons before 2026, he recorded 1,000+ rushing yards four times, led the league in yards in 2021 (1,810), and led the league in touchdowns in 2021 (18) and 2025 (18).
No matter who's handing him the football or who's calling the plays, he's been a playmaker that any offense would want, especially one led by Drake Maye.
He's a dual-threat running back who fits what Josh McDaniels likes in his offense, and pairing Taylor with Stevenson seems almost too good to be true. At just 27, he'd have plenty of time to grow and develop into the machine that runs New England's offense, but it will take a haul to get the deal done.
Given that the Vrabel regime doesn't seem afraid to make a blockbuster offer to acquire the talent they want, a trade for Taylor shouldn't be off the table. At the same time, the financial side might make that difficult, as they have only $5.245 million in cap space after restructuring Hunter Henry's contract this weekend, which isn't enough to acquire the running back.
The current belief is that the Colts could get a deal similar to what the 49ers sent the Panthers for Christian McCaffrey, which the Patriots could back if they want to spend big money on a running back.
A haul of future draft picks would probably be a deal the Colts would accept from the Patriots
Looking back at the McCaffrey trade from 2022, the 49ers sent the Panthers second-, third-, and fourth-round picks in the 2023 draft, plus a fourth-rounder in 2024, to add the then-best running back in the league to their offense.
At 26, he was about the same age as Taylor is now, so there is plenty of reason to believe the current Colts' star still has plenty of gas in the tank to be the focus of an offense wherever he plays.
With that trade package in mind, over the last two days, fans have suggested the Patriots make an offer that includes a couple of future picks and TreVeyon Henderson to help replace the departing Taylor, and maybe even Christian Barmore, who has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks.
The only issue is that the Colts just traded their best defensive tackle last week, so would they really be interested in acquiring another, less productive defensive tackle in a trade?
The same could be said about Henderson, whose most intriguing trait is his age and the fact that he's only in his second season. But because his weaknesses have been on full display, the Colts might find it easy to turn the other way if they include him in the offer.
That means the Patriots would have to be more willing to part with future draft capital, and a lot of it, if they have their hopes set on Taylor. No other player on the roster makes sense to trade, so a haul of picks might do the trick.
But will they want to do that? Based on how important Vrabel and Co. have made draft picks seem to the team, the easy answer is no. They find those selections more valuable at this stage of the retool, even if acquiring a player of Taylor's caliber would be phenomenal.
At the same time, they shouldn't be completely ruled out, though some fans started saying so after Henderson was ruled out with an illness 36 hours before Sunday's game, sparking rumors that they might be trading him before this year's deadline.
No matter what happens, Taylor should be on the radar, but Patriots fans shouldn't get their hopes up at this point. As great as it would be to see him in a New England uniform, we're more likely to see him elsewhere for the rest of the 2026 season, while hoping Henderson improves his performance and lives up to the hype of a second-round pick.
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