The Patriots have appeared to make the impossible possible this offseason by massively upgrading their once underwhelming roster, which most believed would take far more than one offseason to even make a dent in. It is much to the credit of new head coach Mike Vrabel and a redemption arc by unofficial general manager Eliot Wolf, with plenty of cap space remaining to assemble an even more exciting roster.
For the most part, the offense is exactly where it needs to be for Drake Maye to be far more comfortable than he was as a rookie, with a solid offensive line to protect him and an upgraded wide receiver room led by Stefon Diggs. But fans feel there is room for more improvement, especially for a player connected to Vrabel from his days as the Titans' head coach.
Because they went into the offseason with the most cap space to utilize and needed a clear WR1 on the roster, fans believed a blockbuster trade could inevitably be on the horizon. The target that made the most sense in the eyes of the fans was the Eagles' A.J. Brown, a player Vrabel drafted while in Tennessee.
It was mentioned a few times upon Vrabel's arrival to Foxboro, with the new head coach not shutting down the possibility of a reunion with Brown. However, the Eagles have not made him available, and now it appears as though Wolf ended that possibility before it could be seriously considered
Eliot Wolf doesn't shut down the idea of the Patriots making a big-time trade, but at a price
During a post-draft press conference, Wolf spoke to reporters about the class they put together and what they might have planned for the rest of the offseason with the remaining cap space they can still use.
One reporter asked if he felt comfortable with the roster they had or if there was a chance they could look into adding a "major piece" if he became available, which Wolf didn't shut down, but his decision to cite the team's salary cap guru implies otherwise.
"I think we have some flexibility. (Director of research/salary cap guru) Richard Miller might tell me differently, but that's his job. We'll definitely look at different ways to improve the team, whether that's trade or someone that might become available later."
While this doesn't specifically shut down the possibility of a trade for Brown, the invocation of Richard Miller makes it fair to assume that Wolf doesn't intend to spend an egregious amount of money the rest of the offseason, assuming Miller wouldn't see it fit.
Considering how much they would have to give up to acquire Brown on top of the massive salary they'd be taking, it's unlikely that someone whose job it is to care about the salary cap would sign off on that, even for a team in the Patriots' shoes. That might be a wrong assumption, but it feels like that is what has deterred the Patriots from getting a deal done in the past, especially since reports claim they have inquired about Brown's availability multiple times.
Things could certainly change, even more so if the Eagles decide to make Brown available for trade. However, based on what we know and Wolf's latest comments, fans might be better off putting the dream trade for Brown to the Patriots on the back burner for the foreseeable future.