The New England Patriots took a massive hit to their 2026 hopes in their first game against Seattle.
They not only lost a winnable game, but more importantly, A.J. Brown, their prize offseason trade acquisition and the team's No. 1 receiver, went down with an ankle injury early in the game. It was a worst-case scenario for a team hoping to repeat 2025's achievements and maybe more.
Brown's high ankle sprain is a serious injury that takes a long time to heal. The team needs to fill the gap, and Si.com's Mark Livingston has suggested an interesting solution for the Patriots following Brown's unfortunate injury.
He suggests trading with the Carolina Panthers for wide receiver Xavier Legette, the Panthers' third-year pass catcher. The Patriots should definitely explore this trade.
The New England Patriots' A.J. Brown will be on the shelf for months
Without moving the explosive Marcus Jones to offense, the Patriots need a move, and they could do little worse than try to pry Xavier Legette loose from the Panthers. If it takes a third-round pick in 2028, or maybe a fourth in 2027's loaded draft, he'd be well worth a flyer.
The trade of Kayshon Boutte to Houston came back to bite the Patriots in their very first 2026 game. Injuries happen to every team in the NFL, but other than an injury to Maye, losing Brown is as bad as it gets.
Livingston thinks Legette would be a good bet, and he's right.
"Nobody should expect Legette to replace Brown because that's not a realistic comparison. What he could do is give New England another receiver to work with while Brown is out and maybe get a bigger opportunity than he currently has in Carolina. Legette is still only 25, and the things that made him interesting coming out of South Carolina are still there.
He's 6-foot-1, around 220 pounds, and can run. We just haven't seen those tools turn into enough production. That's what New England would be betting on."
2027 or 2028 draft picks mean nothing to a team that had high hopes with Brown playing and competing in 2026 for a playoff berth and more. That's why Livingston's suggestion makes sense. A Legette trade would help fill the hole, and the Patriots should jump at any opportunity.
Legette is in his third year in the NFL after being Carolina's first-round pick in 2024. Like Brown, the 25-year-old is a big receiver at 6'3" and 227 pounds. He'd be another big target to partner with Mack Hollins for Maye.
His first two NFL seasons weren't barnburners. As a rookie, he caught 49 passes for 497 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he caught 35 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Those numbers aren't going to remind anyone of Brown, but the Patriots, with Brown's high ankle sprain- a tough injury to rebound from- need to add a receiver now. Legette would be a solid choice.
The reality in the NFL is that injuries happen to every team. That's why building depth is such a critical component of any NFL team's offseason. The Patriots had mixed results building depth this offseason, but ironically, one position that showed solid depth was wide receiver.
That will be tested now. Yet adding a young, big target like Legette would be a good bet and would make perfect sense. If they can make the deal at a palatable cost, they should just go ahead and do so.
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