The biggest New England Patriots story of the 2026 offseason is whether the team will trade for the Eagles' No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown, or not. It's dominated the headlines for months, and no resolution is in sight.
Boston.com's Colin McCarthy has taken a look at five trades the Patriots have made for wide receivers in recent history, and their track record is illuminating, seemingly easing some concerns about going all-in for a player like Brown, if they choose to do so.
The acquisitions he looked at were Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Brandon Cooks, Brandon Lloyd, and Josh Gordon. A couple of those trades have to be categorized as supernovas. They were, of course, for Pro Football Hall of Famer Moss and super-slot receiver Wes Welker. The other three deals also had success.
McCarthy takes a look at the cost for these receivers and their subsequent production. A cursory cost-benefit analysis reveals that when it came to Moss and Welker, Bill Belichick hit the ultimate grand slam home run on each of them. Both became legends of sorts in Foxborough.
Moss and Welker stand out as mega wide receiver trades for the Patriots
Moss's first season in 2007 was one of the best in NFL history. He caught 98 passes for 1493 yards and an amazing 23 touchdowns. He helped Tom Brady to the only 17-0 season in NFL history. His next two seasons were also solid, and he left thereafter. The cost for his services was a measly fourth-round pick to the Raiders.
Welker was a bit more costly, but he also carved a niche in Patriots history that can't be overestimated. Arriving in the same 2007 season, they teamed to dominate the NFL. As McCarthy notes,
"The same year they brought in Moss, New England acquired another franchise cornerstone in Wes Welker from the Miami Dolphins. His fit with Moss was outstanding, and he quickly turned into one of the most prolific slot receivers in the NFL at that time. Like Moss, Welker also didn’t win a Super Bowl with the Patriots.
But he paved the way for other slot receivers to have success in New England’s system."
While he called Moss a "home run acquisition," he devalued the Welker trade, saying, "Solid addition, even better as a complementary piece to Moss." He got that wrong. Welker came over from Miami for the 2007 second and seventh round picks. He played six seasons for the Patriots and had over 100 catches and 1,000 yards in five of them.
He was a superstar receiver and one of the best in Patriots' history, not just a "solid addition".
Brandin Cooks came over from the Saints in 2017 for a first and third-round pick, with a fourth coming back to New England. He played only one season in Foxborough, but it was a good one. He caught 65 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. He was traded to the Rams in 2018 for first and sixth-round picks. All in all, a decent deal.
Brandon Lloyd signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2012 and had a good season with 74 catches for 911 and four touchdowns. He was gone after that season. Josh Gordon came to Foxborough from Cleveland for a fifth-round pick, with a seventh coming back. In 2018, he caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns.
He was traded the next season after six games. When he played he was very good.
The Patriots did quite well in the five acquisitions outlined by McCarthy. While Moss and Welker stand out, the other three also contributed to winning teams. If history is any indicator of future success (although all the previous acquisitions were by Bill Belichick), then a Patriots trade or free agent signing might just work out pretty well now.
Yet, regardless of the history, if they trade for A.J. Brown, expect this true No. 1 receiver to perform very well indeed with Drake Maye throwing him the rock.