Patriots' Monster Trade Proposal Bags Top WR for Drake Maye

The New England Patriots may be in the hunt to land another big wide receiver for Drake Maye.

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) warms up before the start of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots finally addressed their ailing receiving corps last week, signing Stefon Diggs to a three-year contract.

However, Diggs is coming off of a torn ACL, so questions remain about how effective he will be next season. Plus, the Patriots have very limited depth behind him.

Ergo, New England can certainly afford to add another wide out, and while the Pats may just have to wait until the NFL Draft to find answers, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport has created a trade proposal in which the Patriots would land Brandon Aiyuk from the San Francisco 49ers.

In the deal, New England would send the No. 4 overall pick to the 49ers in exchange for Aiyuk, the 11th overall selection, a second-round draft pick and a conditional 2026 third-rounder.

Ironically enough, Aiyuk — like Diggs — is also recovering from a torn ACL, but Davenport thinks it's a move the Pats should seriously consider.

"But the Pats should be playing the long game," Davenport wrote. "If you believe that Aiyuk can regain past form, pairing him with the newly-acquired Stefon Diggs would turn a position that not long ago was a glaring weakness into a strength. New England would also gain a pair of top-100 picks (provided Aiyuk hits certain benchmarks in 2025)—all for sliding back seven spots on April 24."

The caveat — which Davenport does mention — is that Aiyuk has a $22.5 million roster bonus that kicks in Tuesday, and at that point, he would essentially be untradable.

So, if the Patriots are going to do this, they are going to have to move quickly, and it would be one heck of a gamble when you account for the fact that Aiyuk signed a four-year, $120 million extension with San Francisco before last season.

The 27-year-old played in just seven games before going down with the knee injury in 2024, logging 25 catches for 374 yards..

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