Shocking Trade Ideas Patriots Should Pursue Before 2023 Season

The New England Patriots' offseason would not be classified as flashy.

They added JuJu Smith-Schuster to likely be the No. 1 wide receiver, but they didn't do much after that at the position.

The Patriots made the practical move to select Christian Gonzalez in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft to shore up their secondary, but they did not make a big offensive splash beyond that.

Bill Belichick and his staff still have all summer to make a shocking move on the trade market to boost the playmaking abilities of their offense.

The offensive success ultimately comes down to Mac Jones, who endured some regression in his second season.

The Patriots should display trust in their starting quarterback going into training camp, but there is one move they could make that could signal a lack of confidence in the 2021 first-round pick.

Land Courtland Sutton from Denver

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 01: Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) signals first down in the third quarter of an AFC West game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on January 1, 2023 at GEHA Field at.Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A strong case could be made that Smith-Schuster is fourth on the AFC East rankings of No. 1 wide receivers.

Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill are in the elite class of NFL pass-catchers, and Garrett Wilson is one of the league's rising stars.

The Patriots simply don't have the abundance of star power at wide receiver that their AFC East rivals have at the moment.

They could change that with a summer trade with the Denver Broncos for Courtland Sutton.

No one knows for sure how the Sean Payton regime will start in Denver, but one can assume it will be smoother than the team's 2022 season.

For that reason, the Broncos could keep Sutton around to give themselves the best possible chance to contend for a playoff spot in Payton's first year in charge.

Denver's incentive to trade the 27-year-old is that it could lose the wide receiver next offseason. He can get out of his contract after the 2023 campaign, per Spotrac.

The Broncos might have an eye on future spending and be reluctant to pay Sutton's eight-figure salary for the next few seasons.

The AFC West side also needs to restock its draft capital after the Russell Wilson trade, and the Patriots could offer one or two selections that give the Broncos some hope if they fail to improve in 2023.

Go After Tee Higgins' Expiring Deal

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CINCINNATI, OHIO - JANUARY 08: Tee Higgins #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs a route in the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium on January 08, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

File a potential Tee Higgins trade as unlikely given the teams involved in the potential deal, but it's fun to dream about a Patriots move for the Cincinnati Bengals wideout.

The 24-year-old is entering the last year of his contract, and the Bengals may not be able to meet his salary demands with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase also on the roster.

Higgins has been a fantastic No. 2 wideout for the Bengals since he was drafted in 2020, and that would be the reason why Cincinnati would not let him go in the season before he hits free agency.

However, the Patriots could swing big in a potential trade for the Clemson product and make him the No. 1 wideout on their depth chart.

New England missed out on Brandin Cooks on the trade market and it probably won't land De'Andre Hopkins as a free agent, so some sort of blockbuster trade is its last chance to make an offseason impact at the position.

The Patriots likely wouldn't have to give up much in return for Higgins because of his contract status, but the hesitation from Cincinnati could come from trading a star wideout to a competitor for an AFC playoff spot, which is why any Higgins deal would come as a shock.

Bring in Ryan Tannehill

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans throws the ball during warmups before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

What if Jones is not the future at quarterback?

That's a question the Patriots should ask themselves after he dropped from 3,801 passing yards and 22 touchdown passes in 2021 to 2,997 yards and 14 aerial scores in 2022.

New England would be smart to give the 24-year-old a third year to prove himself, which seems the likely move, but they could go after Ryan Tannehill to add more competition.

The 34-year-old seems to be on his way out of Tennessee. The Titans are in a bit of a rebuild at the moment and could turn the ball over to second-round pick Will Levis in 2023.

Tannehill may not seem like a major upgrade over Jones, which is why a trade with the Titans would be a bit stunning, but he knows how to guide a team to the postseason and win at that stage.

It's too late for the Patriots to land a young quarterback for 2023, so if Jones is expected to struggle again, they could add a veteran stopgap before going after a signal-caller in the 2024 NFL draft.