Patriots could land a veteran difference-maker at a stunning discount this year

The New England Patriots have made several trades under Mike Vrabel over the last 17 months, including four this offseason. The most notable was, of course, trading a first-round pick for A.J. Brown, but the team also made three other moves that quietly appear to be very good.

Back in March, the Patriots traded Garrett Bradbury to the Bears, who were scrambling after losing Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman to an early retirement. After initial reports that the team was releasing former third-round pick Marte Mapu, the Patriots managed to package the ex-Sacramento State linebacker with a seventh-round pick for the Texans' sixth-round pick.

Last week, the team managed the same trade, with Caedan Wallace headed to Miami after initial reports of his release.

Aside from Brown, the Patriots' trades this offseason have involved getting rid of players rather than acquiring them. In fact, that's been a theme throughout Vrabel's time in Foxborough. In the nine trades made during Vrabel's tenure, only A.J. Brown was acquired.

The other eight all involved trading a player away, and in six of those instances, the initial compensation was a swap of the player for a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick.

The value the Patriots have received for unwanted depth pieces has helped them navigate the draft board and make nine selections across the last two rounds over the last two seasons. While adding veteran talent via trade hasn't been the primary function of those picks, it could be if a certain tight end becomes available.

Colby Parkinson could be deemed surplus in L.A. and fall right into the Patriots arms

The Rams have made an effort to surround Matt Stafford with weapons, both via free agency (Davante Adams) and the draft. While the Rams played in three-receiver sets at the beginning of Sean McVay's head coaching career, they shifted to more tight-end action last year.

The team selected Terrance Ferguson in the second round last year and did the same with Ohio State's Max Klare in 2026. They also re-signed Tyler Higbee to a two-year deal back in March. Despite their investments, ESPN lists their No. 1 option at the position as Colby Parkinson.

A former Seahawk, Parkinson signed a three-year deal with L.A. in 2024 and had a career year last season. He finished the regular season with 43 catches for 408 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games.

The majority of his damage was done after the Rams' Week 8 bye, when he averaged 3.6 catches and 35.0 yards per game, contrary to his 1.4-catch and 11.6-yard figures before the week off. He also snagged all 8 touchdowns after the bye.

Come the playoffs, Parkinson averaged 2.7 catches for 50.7 yards across three games, and caught a game-winning touchdown in the Wildcard matchup against the Panthers with just 38 seconds left.

The Rams roster eight tight ends, and if their affinity for the position last season is any indication of their 2026 roster construction, keeping four seems more than reasonable. Ferguson, Klare, and Higbee are locks, while Davis Allen had a large role last season, playing 50%+ snaps in 7/10 games after the bye last season.

Keeping Parkinson would mean stripping opportunities from Ferguson and Klare while keeping as many as five tight ends. The 27-year-old is on the books for just over $9 million this season, making him a prime cut candidate. The Patriots, however, could look to swing a trade for him.

Colby Parkinson would be a fantastic budget addition for the Patriots

The Patriots' tight end room will look different than expected this season. After losing Austin Hooper in free agency, the team added blocking specialist Julian Hill. Hill went down with a knee injury that Vrabel called "devastating" and was placed on season-ending IR on June 1. In his place, rookie Eli Raridon has taken snaps.

Taking away opportunities from a rookie isn't ideal, but it's understandable when a legitimate weapon with proven production becomes available. Seeing that Parkinson may take away snaps from their pair of young tight ends, the Rams could be willing to deal an expensive, though productive, backup for pennies on the dollar.

Stripping Raridon of opportunities early on isn't ideal, but his seeing extensive snaps was never the plan: if Hill hadn't gotten hurt, he would have remained the third tight end.

At 6-foot-7, 266 pounds, Parkinson has added size since entering the league and has become a very solid blocker. It wouldn't likely take more than a swap of Day 3 picks to see him in a Patriots uniform, and his cap hit would nearly halve to about $5 million after a trade.

Furthermore, Parkinson could be allowed to walk at the end of the season in favor of Raridon moving up the depth chart, as originally planned with Hill. If the Patriots want to maximize their window with Drake Maye on a rookie contract, adding quality veteran pieces like Parkinson may be the way to go.

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