After successfully trading for wide receiver A.J. Brown, there would appear to be no more need for the Patriots to look around the league for another blockbuster move to make, especially for a pass catcher. And for the most part, that would be accurate, but what is being said about some superstar players should change their minds.
The most intriguing of all, stemming from the conclusion of minicamp this past week, is Vikings star Jordan Addison, a 2023 draft pick who many Patriots fans had on their big board for the first round, if not for Christian Gonzalez's availability.
He has gone on to have an impressive career so far in Minnesota, becoming the WR2 behind Justin Jefferson, but is getting a bit of a reality check from an unexpected source that should put him on the Patriots' radar until this season's trade deadline.
Because there's a chance that they decide to move on from Kayshon Boutte, who they took in the sixth round of the same draft, and there are concerns about the longevity Brown will have in his Patriots' tenure, Addison should be a player to watch.
And from what has been reportedly happening at Vikings minicamp, they should start paying attention to Addison a lot sooner than later.
The Vikings might give the Patriots more than enough reason to watch their preseason closely
As reported by ESPN's Kevin Seifert and picked up by Lior Lampert of The Viking Age, UDFA receiver Dillon Bell has stood out this spring and was working out with the second offense throughout, which was noteworthy given his status.
Obviously, it's just practice, and nothing should be concluded about either Bell or Addison's futures from it. But because Addison has had some run-ins with the law over the past year, raising concerns about his Vikings future, seeing him potentially moved down the depth chart so early in his career is not great.
He has been a liability for the team because of his off-the-field problems, and if that continues, we could easily see the Vikings rely more on a player like Bell or even the recently signed Jauan Jennings, making Addison potentially available for a trade.
He's set to play out the final year of his contract, and given his recent history and these recent updates from minicamp, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see Minnesota trade him rather than sign him to an extension. If they don't want to keep him beyond 2026, it makes more sense to move him now rather than watch him walk in free agency for nothing.
And because he hasn't been extended yet, it seems unlikely they'll pick up his fifth-year option any time soon, especially given how much money they'd be on the hook for next season.
That's where the Patriots come in. They could trade for Addison to add a first-round talent to their receiving corps who is young enough to play with Drake Maye for a long time, developing that chemistry that they're hoping to build around him for the long haul.
It wouldn't be cheap to acquire him, of course, and they'd have to believe that Addison won't continue his problematic behavior in Foxboro. However, he's worth considering if they really are prioritizing Maye and the offense.
Addison has proven to be a threat on the field, and although his 2025 season was a dip from his previous two seasons, as he recorded 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns, he did serve a three-game suspension to start the year, and showed he can be a game-changer during his previous two seasons.
In 2023 and 2024, he totaled 133 receptions for 1,786 yards and 19 touchdowns. That's the kind of production the Patriots have been looking for, and the idea of teaming him up with Brown could make for an unstoppable offense for a long time.
At the very least, it's a situation Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf should monitor, and hopefully, they will.
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