Proposed trade has Patriots receive first-round quarterback and top receiver

Regarding the Patriots' first-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, there are infinite answers about the position and player they should select first. And even if there is an agreeance of position, who would be the best fit has become a whole other debate on its own.

For the most part, the consensus says they need to take a quarterback because this is their highest draft pick since taking Drew Bledsoe. But others feel strongly about a few wide receivers and feel they cannot be passed on if they're available by pick three.

But what if they could pull off a trade that allows them to get a quarterback and a game-changing wide receiver? That's what one of the latest fan-proposed trades suggests, and the names involved are certainly intriguing, especially the quarterback.

In this proposal, the Patriots trade their 2024 second-round pick to the Bears for quarterback Justin Fields. That means they hold onto their round pick and draft Marvin Harrison Jr., the highly touted wide receiver from Ohio State who is said to be the best of his draft class.

At first glance, maybe it's too good to be true. It's an ideal scenario that gives the Patriots another shot with a young but experienced quarterback and finally snags their clear WR1. However, there are a few concerns with this hypothetical trade for a few reasons.

The first, of course, would be Fields himself. Through three seasons, he hasn't been all that impressive for the Bears, and if they were willing to move on from him before starting year four, that says a lot about how they feel about his potential in the league. Given the position the Patriots are in with Mac Jones, it doesn't seem like an upgrade to go to another possible project quarterback with the hope of making him a star.

The other issue is believing Chicago would move Fields for just a second-round pick. If they give up their former first-round quarterback, they'd probably want more than just one pick in return. So what would that price be? Adding much more seems like a way for the Patriots to be finessed.

Overall, it's a fun scenario to consider, but in the big scheme of things, it wouldn't benefit the Patriots, first and foremost. The Bears would walk away the winners, offloading their quarterback for a couple of picks, drafting the one they want with the first overall pick, and adding more quality talent with their added selections.

That's not something the Patriots should be willing to give up when they need just as many upgrades to their roster as Chicago. And they surely don't need another question mark of a quarterback for another season.

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