2 days Ago By Joe Tansey
The New England Patriots should be one of the most discussed teams in the NFL trade market. The Patriots are not expected to compete for anything in Jerod Mayo's first season as head coach. It should be more of a developmental season for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
New England's likely spot in the standings will come with interest in veteran players from elsewhere in the NFL. The Patriots have a few wide receivers, who if healthy, could help other teams in their respective quests for the Super Bowl. Mayo and his staff could also face a fascinating discussion about the future of Jacoby Brissett.
The veteran quarterback is currently in competition with Maye, but if the rookie takes over, another team could ask the Patriots about his services. A healthy and productive JuJu Smith-Schuster should be one of the NFL's more popular trade targets. The veteran wide receiver is coming off a down first year in New England in which he only recorded 260 receiving yards on 47 receptions.
Smith-Schuster is only a year removed from a 933-yard season with the Kansas City Chiefs. That is proof of what he can still on a contending roster. New England has plenty of young wide outs behind Smith-Schuster on the depth chart who could take over his role if he does leave at some point of the 2024 campaign.
The ideal situation for all parties is for Smith-Schuster to have a strong opening half of the regular season, generate trade interest and then for a move to happen to let Ja'Lynn Polk, Demario D.
