Since the start of the offseason, the Patriots have been connected to several of the top tradable players looking for a new extension. The most interest appeared to be over wide receiver Terry McLaurin, especially since all reports seemed to indicate that he was the farthest from getting a deal done with his team.
That is no longer the case now, after the past week of rumors suggested they were closing in on a new contract to keep him in Washington for the long haul. It was announced on Monday morning that McLaurin signed a three-year extension that officially made him the sixth-highest-paid receiver in the NFL for the 2025 season.
BREAKING: The #Commanders and All-Pro WR Terry McLaurin have agreed to a 3-year extension worth over $96M, multiple sources tell me.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 25, 2025
The deal is done and "Scary Terry" gets his well-deserved payday — while Jayden Daniels gets his star receiver back in his arsenal. pic.twitter.com/Egn25qxnR8
It eliminates him from the Patriots' short list of players to trade for to boost the offense, and could shift their focus to the defense instead, since pass rushers Trey Hendrickson and Micah Parsons remain at a standstill with their current teams.
However, that might not be the best use of their estimated $60 million in cap space in the weeks leading to the start of the season. There are far more questions surrounding the offense, which should be what they look to improve first.
The Patriots' limited trade options for the offense is a big slap in the face before the 2025 season
The Patriots have hit a brick wall in their efforts to upgrade the offense further before Week 1. Mike Vrabel stated (again) that the team is willing to give up top draft capital in a trade if they firmly believe a player would be worth it, and unfortunately, their offensive options are close to none at this point.
McLaurin was the last top offensive name that would have made a massive impact on the state of their team, even more so for Drake Maye, who is going into a very telling second season.
While they also learned that Stefon Diggs will miraculously be ready to go for the season opener, there are still questions surrounding most of the receiving corps, and McLaurin would have immediately elevated them to a new level the Patriots haven't had in several years.
Now they'll have to hope another top name becomes available, and it's not looking good at this point.
The main player of discussion recently has been Adam Thielen, who would be of no help in New England, given their current receiver roster. It might be more worthwhile to seriously pursue either Hendrickson or Parsons instead and hold off on the offense until next year. That would mean they could rollover this year's remaining cap until next year to give them more options.
That sounds like a smarter idea than forcing a trade this year, when it's better to plan for the long term than try to win this year. They're still a bit away from being a legitimate team, so going all-in for the 2025 season is probably not the smartest idea.