Among the NFL stars currently looking for new contracts, will any of them hit the trade market and be available to the New England Patriots?
It’s the ‘dead period’ of the NFL calendar, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about. Typically this time of year the NFL discourse is dominated by contract talk – which players are looking to get new deals heading into training camp and the upcoming season.
Those conversations are usually held coming away from mandatory minicamps, after players have held out. Generally most of those holdouts end up getting new contracts at some point, but trades to happen in these circumstances (ex. Matthew Judon last year).
This year, the holdout talk is bubbling up once again. Three players have garnered the most attention – Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt, and Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
For a New England Patriots team that still has a league-leading just over $60 million in cap space (per OverTheCap.com), these are all situations to monitor. Odds are all three won’t be moved with the reporting now being that all three are still looking to get new contracts with their teams, but if one does truly become available the Patriots should be players in those negotiations.
From a Patriots perspective, which player would be the best fit? Who would be the best option? The most realistic? Let’s take a look…
Most realistic: Trey Hendrickson
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Hendrickson being the most likely of the three players to truly come available is two-fold. For one, the Bengals’ cap situation is tricky. They have over $100 million per year committed to just three players – Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins – for the foreseeable future. While they have the room to extend Hendrickson as well (and are reportedly still trying to do so), such an extension would limit further roster building which could be prohibitive for a team trying to rebuild a defense that ranked 25th in the NFL last year.
The other factor here is – it’s the Cincinnati Bengals. This is a franchise that has a history of struggling to retain its players on big contracts, and with a few recently signed, is this the tipping point? It should be noted the Bengals did draft a pass rusher with their first-round pick back in April (and they’re having contract issues with him as well).
In New England, Hendrickson would add a lynchpin pass rusher who would dictate opposing blocking schemes, allowing the other edge rushers on the team to slot into more complementary roles. While the Patriots’ pass rush added significant depth this offseason, adding such a player on the outside to the group they’ve already assembled would represent a significant step up.
Then there’s the question of what Hendrickson would cost the Patriots. He’s entering his age-30 season, coming off of back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons the last two years. If the Judon deal of a third round pick last year is a baseline, Hendrickson could cost the Patriots a second-round pick and perhaps another Day 3 pick. That package was the basis of hypothetical trades proposed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler back in June.
Best overall player: T.J. Watt
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The case for the Patriots adding a pass rusher is laid out above, but while Hendrickson has proved more of a sack artist in recent years Watt has proven a more all-around impactful player and has shown a higher ceiling. Watt has played through injuries in recent years and after having 19 sacks two years ago he had 11 last year while also leading the league with six forced fumbles.
Entering his age-31 season, Watt remains one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. And while he’d be a great addition to the Patriots in that regard, it’s also part of the reason he may be the least likely of the three to actually hit the trade block.
After signing 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers may be as ‘win-now’ of a team as there is in the NFL in 2025. Even with a coach like Mike Tomlin there isn’t much certainty in the long-term outlook of the program beyond this year. Moving on from Watt – especially for a draft pick-driven package which is likely what the Patriots would be offering – would not help them capitalize on this season.
Best fit: Terry McLaurin
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It seems like every year, one or two wide receivers entering a contract year become ‘pre-agents’ and look to get paid rather than play on the final year of their deal. D.K. Metcalf was one, but he was moved back in the spring to get a new deal. Next up is McLaurin, who is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.
So far, he and the Washington Commanders haven’t gotten on the same page to get a deal done. Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend that McLaurin is “not happy” where things stand in the extension talks.
The Commanders having these issues with McLaurin is a bit surprising. While he is entering his age-30 season he’s been a productive receiver throughout his career. Plus, the team has the flexibility of having a plus starting quarterback in Jayden Daniels on a rookie contract. Daniels’ development should be of the upmost importance to the Commanders, and having a player like McLaurin would greatly benefit him as he looks to take the ‘Year 2 leap,’ especially considering the lack of talent behind him on Washington’s wide receiver depth chart.
All of the reasons the Commanders should be aggressive to keep McLaurin are also the reasons he’d be the best fit for the Patriots. They also have a developing second-year quarterback, and the cap flexibility that comes with that. Their wide receiver room, while improved from last year, still has significant room for improvement. Not only would McLaurin come in and slot in at the top of the depth chart, he also projects as a strong fit in Josh McDaniels’ offense.
If Washington does both things with McLaurin, what would the Patriots need to give up to get him? The Metcalf deal – a second-round pick and then a late-round pick swap – is not a bad starting spot. Metcalf is younger but didn’t produce as much as McLaurin last year. Both would need new contracts. The Patriots could also throw in a receiver (like they reportedly did in a proposed deal for Brandon Aiyuk last year) which Washington may need given their remaining players at the position.