For several years now, the Patriots have been linked to several top wide receivers, via trade or free agency, to finally bolster a receiving corps that has struggled to find a clear No. 1 since Tom Brady under center.
That ultimately led them to sign Stefon Diggs last offseason and trade for A.J. Brown this past summer, giving Drake Maye the best weapons of his career. But when Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1, the team immediately returned to the trade conversation, with Marvin Harrison Jr. at the top of the list.
Although no official reports indicated any interest in the 24-year-old, he seemed to fit exactly what Mike Vrabel wanted for the team.
He's a big pass-catcher who was drafted in the first round just two years ago and could easily develop alongside Maye to become his No. 1 weapon for years to come. The problem is that the Cardinals were hoping for a blockbuster trade, given what they used to select him in 2024, which seemingly eliminated the Patriots from inquiring.
To some, that was frustrating, but seeing how much the Texans gave up to reunite their quarterback with his favorite college target proves the Patriots avoided getting massively fleeced in what could be a monumentally bad trade in no time.
The Texans took a massive risk with a blockbuster trade for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Just minutes before the Cardinals were set to take the field for their Week 5 matchup with the Lions, NFL insiders announced the Texans were sending a 2027 2nd-round pick and a 6th-round pick to Arizona for Marvin Harrison Jr. and a future 7th-round selection.
Despite having a seemingly solid receiving corps, including former Patriots star Kayshon Boutte, the Texans went into desperation mode and gave up a fortune for a player who has recorded just 5 catches for 85 yards and 1 touchdown this season.
Stroud and Harrison were teammates at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022, with the latter marking the receiver's best college season, recording 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. That was also Stroud's best season, so the Texans hope to recreate that magic in the NFL.
It could come together fairly quickly, given that they've played together and the chemistry is still there. That could be a massive help for the Texans' offense and get them back in the AFC race after a 1-4 start.
Perhaps Harrison Jr. can bring a spark to their current receiving corps and make them more dynamic, especially since Nico Collins seems to be injured more often than he is available to play.
At the same time, he hasn't lived up to the hype going into the 2024 draft, and the Texans aren't exactly a well-oiled machine compared to the Cardinals, even if they have been far more successful in recent years.
So Harrison Jr. may not perform much better in Houston than he did in Arizona, and the Patriots should be glad they didn't take him. Not to mention, giving up that kind of draft capital on a player you aren't sure about would be a disaster.
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