Grade the Trade: Patriots reunite Drake Maye with flashy receiver in new proposal

The Patriots desire to put together a young, talented roster that they can build around for years to come, especially rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Even if Maye isn't the Week 1 starter, some moves still need to be made this offseason to accomplish that goal.

There have been rumblings about Eliot Wolf looking into adding more players to the offense, mainly wide receivers, and he shared as much when he revealed the team was exploring trade options prior to the draft. Since then, not much has been said about their look into the trade market, and perhaps it's because they drafted Javon Baker and Ja'Lynn Polk.

However, there is still a void within the receiving corps that should be addressed before the 2024 season begins to make either quarterback's job a lot easier despite a challenging schedule.

We're at the point in the offseason where hypothetical trades are all the rage and the Patriots continue to be a feature in nearly all of them. From trading rookie receivers for Brandon Aiyuk to sending a plethora of draft capital to acuqire CeeDee Lamb, no stone has been left unturned to improve New England's offense.

Interestingly, a new proposal features a less-known name who might be the perfect candidate to make Maye's transition into the NFL much smoother.

Grade the Trade: Patriots reunite Drake Maye with UNC receiver

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox proposed the Patriots trade with the Lions to reunite their new quarterback with one of his favorite targets during the 2022 season at UNC, Antoine Green.

The 24 year old has been in the league for one season and saw virtually no action with the Lions, mainly due to their impressive receiver room led by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.

This seemingly opens up Green as a trade target for the Patriots, which Knox details in his proposal.

"He was far more productive in his final season at North Carolina, a campaign he finished with 43 receptions, 798 yards and seven touchdowns in nine games. Playing alongside quarterback Drake Maye, he earned a reputation as a downfield threat.

"Green's size and deep-ball success make him a more intriguing Day 3 prospect than the overall production and skill set might suggest," NFL Media's Lance Zierlein wrote ahead of the 2023 draft.

Trading for Green would give Maye a familiar face and a target who has proved he can take advantage of the quarterback's uncanny arm talent.

This isn't a hypothetical trade that would generate many headlines, but it could greatly aid the development of New England's quarterback of the future."

It's never a bad idea to reunite a former college duo in the NFL, as we've seen it be successful time and time again. Given that Green was a seventh-round pick and has yet to be integrated into the Lions' offense, it looks like a favorable deal for the Patriots to get done. It won't be expensive, making it a low-risk, high-reward trade.

If worse comes to worse and Green isn't a great fit, it's not a significant loss for the Patriots to take on. But if bringing Green and Maye back together on the field proves beneficial, they got a steal of a trade that could prove to be genius, even more so in the long run.

Grade: A

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