Patriots miss big opportunity to trade for 2-time Super Bowl champion

The expectations for how the Patriots would navigate free agency this year were high due to the change of who was in charge and the amount of money they had in their wallet to spend.

With so many improvements needing to be made to the roster, plus comments made by Jerod Mayo that sparked excitement about the upcoming changes, there was a belief we would see an offseason similar to the spending spree of 2021, but with some more top talent brought in.

It seemed like everything was pointing in that direction, with an urgency coming from Robert Kraft to get the team back on track. But so far, they've disappointed with how they've decided to retain and bring in new players.

What has become even more discouraging is the amount of quality free agents or those on the trade block they have been connected to, including Calvin Ridley and L'Jarius Sneed. The receiver was allegedly deciding between signing with the Patriots or the Jaguars, only to accept an offer from the Titans instead.

And now it looks like Mayo and Co. missed out on another game-changing player as of Friday night.

The Patriots miss out on L'Jarius Sneed to the Titans

Although the defense wasn't the part of the team that needed much help this offseason, the Patriots didn't retain Myles Bryant, J.C. Jackson, or Jalen Mills in free agency, thinning out their cornerback room quite a lot.

It's likely why they were reportedly in on Sneed once it became known the Chiefs were shopping him for a trade, and he would have been an incredible addition. But instead of seriously inquiring about getting a deal done, the Titans swooped in and fleeced the Chiefs for Sneed, who was traded for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-rounder.

The trade was far lower than the projected cost to acquire the cornerback, and the Patriots could have easily gotten that deal done if they wanted to.

The main drawback seems to have been Sneed's need for an extension and his desire to be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. That would turn off many teams that would greatly benefit from having him on their team, but the Patriots are projected to have around $200 million in cap space in 2025, so money would not have been an issue.

It's certainly not ideal for the Patriots to lose out on another potential player via an attainable trade. However, the silver lining is that there is a potential reunion in store with Stephon Gilmore, who is still one of the best at the position. Christian Gonzalez will be healthy and ready to return to the field for this upcoming season.

So losing out on Sneed stings a bit, yes; it's just not as bad as it would have if he were another receiver they could have used.

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