Patriots are named one of the best fits for a player wanting out of Indianapolis

Based on recent visits and their pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins, it's clear the Patriots are not 100% sold on the current roster heading into the 2023 season.

After losing their prime target wide receiver to the Titans, Bill Belichick has invited three running backs in for workouts, all of which left Foxboro without a contract. Although it has been reported that the Patriots and the latest visitor to the team, Ezekiel Elliott, will remain in contact, no deal is imminent, and they'll need to move swiftly to get a deal done as the regular season quickly approaches.

If they choose to back down from their interest in Elliott, as they have allegedly done with Leonard Fournette, there may be another quality running back option they could pursue.

And according to NFL.com's Eric Edholm, New England would be an excellent fit for Colts' star Jonathan Taylor.

Running backs have been in the news a lot recently, as many across the league have expressed their disappointment with how the position is not valued in football. Despite their obvious importance to any offense, most teams treat running backs like a revolving door; you get the best ones in the draft, keep them for the duration of their rookie contract, and then draft the next one when that contract is almost up.

It's an unfortunate pattern in the NFL. It has become a widely discussed topic with the news of top performers like Saquan Barkley and Josh Jacobs being unable to reach a quality deal with their teams for a long-term extension.

Since the conversation has dominated headlines over the last several days, Colts' owner Jim Irsay decided it was a good idea to comment on the topic via his Twitter page. His controversial comments struck a nerve with fans but also with an essential part of the Colts' offense, leading to his demand for a trade.

Since the news broke that Taylor wanted out of Indy, rumblings about where he could be traded have already begun. Even though Irsay immediately denied the possibility of allowing a trade to happen, we've seen this story play out before, and it's never a decision set in stone, especially in a situation like this.

Maybe it's crazy talk or wishful thinking even to consider the Patriots being potential trade partners for Taylor. Still, it's not a scenario that should be entirely written off, so says Edholm.

"Bill Belichick has a history of adding players who have stung him previously -- Matthew Judon most recently -- and Taylor was an absolute monster against the Patriots in Week 15 of the 2021 season, running 29 times for 170 yards, including a 67-yard TD -- one of the longest TD runs against a Belichick defense in recent years. When Taylor missed the Week 9 matchup in New England last year due to an ankle injury, the Patriots held the Colts to 121 total yards in Frank Reich's final game as Indy's head coach.

Still, the most Belichick has paid a back in recent years was James White, who never earned $5 million in a season. Would Taylor be the kind of back they’d be willing to go above that for? I can’t definitively say no, but I'm also not hammering the “yes” option either."

Considering there have been three free agent running backs visiting Foxboro in recent weeks, it's hard to ultimately dismiss the idea of Belichick at least inquiring about Taylor's status and price for a trade.

He would be a great addition to a developing offense hoping to get back on track after a disappointing 2022 season. And Taylor would make an intimidating 1-2 punch alongside Rhamondre Stevenson, who would presumably take on the primary role even with Taylor on the team.

However, the problem is the idea of trading for a player that may become just a one-year rental. Since Taylor only has one year remaining on his rookie contract, they would have to immediately try to get an extension done or risk giving up a lot of draft capital (and possibly player(s)) to have one guaranteed season with him on the roster.

Is it worth the risk? Is this even something Belichick would consider at this point?

Who knows, but it's interesting to think about.