At this point in the Patriots' offseason, the focus has been solely on the likely upcoming trade for wide receiver AJ Brown after June 1, and that will likely remain the hottest topic in New England until the deal is made, assuming it is.
But there are other trades the team could consider, particularly at tight end, that should interest fans, too. Bears' Cole Kmet has been a name on the radar over the last few months, as Chicago has a full tight end room and might need to move on from the veteran to hand the reins to one of the younger players on the roster.
That has put the Patriots in the midst for the 27-year-old, as he is viewed as a potential successor to Hunter Henry, but as time goes on, it looks less likely that they'll have a legitimate chance to make a trade happen.
Although they drafted Eli Raridon and have high hopes that he will be the tight end of the future, Kmet would serve as an immediate replacement for Henry, who many believe might not be on the roster in 2027.
He would give the Patriots security at the position if Raridon needs more time, but the latest projection from Alex Kay of Bleacher Report hints Kmet might not be available after all.
A second-year slump from Colston Loveland would ruin potential trade plans for the Patriots
Looking ahead to the 2026 season and what some of the more exciting second-year players might accomplish, Kay suggests that Colston Loveland could have a slump, which would mean the Bears would rely on Kmet more than initially projected.
That would be bad news for the Patriots if they showed any interest in Kmet, since a more prominent role would probably make the Bears much more hesitant to move on from him, especially given the kind of offense head coach Ben Johnson likes to run.
"Johnson deploys a system that leans heavily into two- or three-tight end sets, having utilized plenty of 12 and 13 personnel even before his organization onboarded another talented tight end in the form of rookie Day 2 pick Sam Roush.
With Cole Kmet still lingering around and Roush poised for some action—along with a projected uptick in looks for both Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III—Loveland looks to be in line for another solid yet unspectacular campaign."
Although there haven't been any official reports alleging the Patriots are interested in Kmet, he's still a name floating around as a target, even after last month's draft.
And while the Bears could still choose to move on from him before the season begins or even ahead of the trade deadline, as plenty of players have been traded despite their primary role on the team, it's fair to assume that they won't want to disrupt QB Caleb Williams' rise to the top, and if Kmet is a security blanket for him, they won't move on.
That will be particularly true if Loveland doesn't become a superstar in his second year. It doesn't mean he never will, but the process of getting there would take longer, which might force Chicago to keep trusted veterans around even more.
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