Patriots in contact with the Chargers regarding trade candidates

The second unofficial day of free agency has been much slower than the first, especially for the Patriots, who already had what some consider an uneventful start. But that doesn't mean they're not actively working to bring in some more players, even those who aren't necessarily readily available.

They are still looking to add more weapons on offense, and because of that, they have made some calls to the Chargers about some of their potential trade candidates.

According to the Boston Herald, the Patriots have inquired about at least four of the AFC West's players: receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and pass rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

"The Patriots have checked in with the Chargers on obvious trade/cut candidates during this week’s open negotiating period, sources told the Herald.

The Chargers are more than $25 million over the salary cap, and they must be compliant before the NFL’s new league year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. Their most obvious trade/cut candidates are wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen and edge defenders Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack."

The Patriots could benefit from any of these players coming to New England

With the wide receiver market looking bare after the franchise tag window and Monday's re-signings, it makes sense New England would ask about Allen and Williams. It also wouldn't be surprising if the Chargers would be more willing to move on from either player, as they need to create cap space to deal with the rest of free agency and the draft.

Both are intriguing prospects for trade and would likely not be too costly. The Patriots need to add talent to their offense, and although they're in on Calvin Ridley, it's not looking too good for them to get a deal done.

Allen is a seasoned veteran with 11 seasons under his belt, and he recorded over 1,000 yards in half of those. He could be a viable option to join Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas, but his main issue is availability. He has missed 12 games over the last three years, which isn't ideal.

Williams has dealt with similar issues, missing 18 games over the last two seasons due to an injury that ended his year in 2023. However, he's younger and would immediately fill the role of what the team hoped DeVante Parker would be, which is certainly a plus.

Bosa and Mack would join Matthew Judon and Keion White to get at the quarterback, which is very much needed. White will be entering his second season, which should be significant, but Judon has been the dominant force in the pass rush since signing with the team in 2021.

Once he went down with a season-ending injury last year, it was almost non-existent in his absence. With the rise of mobile quarterbacks, it's a problem the Patriots could efficiently address with either Bosa or Mack. It'll just come down to what the Chargers are looking for in return.

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