Top Patriots Trade Targets Entering 2024 Offseason
The New England Patriots are in need of an offensive overhaul in the NFL offseason.
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo must build up the offensive talent so that the franchise can avoid a second straight season in the AFC East basement.
The assumption is the Patriots will select a quarterback with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft after Mac Jones' failure to develop into a QB1.
The new signal-caller will need better offensive targets to work with, and that is where the Patriots can be aggressive on the trade market.
New England can look to other teams with new head coaches for potential trade additions so that its offense can be much more functional in 2024.
DeAndre Hopkins
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The Patriots flirted with an offseason deal for DeAndre Hopkins in 2023.
Hopkins ultimately landed with the Tennessee Titans, with whom he turned in the seventh 1,000-yard season of his career.
The 31-year-old may want to stay in Tennessee to work with new head coach Brian Callahan, who comes to the franchise with an offensive background from his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, the Titans are expected to be at the bottom of the AFC South, and Hopkins may want to win elsewhere.
The Patriots probably do not look like the most appealing project to join from Hopkins' perspective, but if they land Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye in the draft, that could change.
Hopkins carries a $17.9 million cap hit for this upcoming season, the last of his deal, but that would be the least of the Patriots' concerns if they draft a quarterback and sign him to a rookie deal—especially since the team is projected to have $69.8 million in cap space.
Brandon Aiyuk
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The Patriots could make an aggressive move by landing Brandon Aiyuk in a deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
Aiyuk is scheduled to make $14.1 million in 2024, but is facing the final year of his deal.
San Francisco likely can't afford to re-sign Aiyuk with all the top-tier contracts on its books, so it may try to get some sort of draft capital return in the offseason.
The 49ers may not want to move Aiyuk, but the Patriots should at least give a call to Santa Clara because of the contract situation.
The Patriots could trade two or three draft picks to San Francisco to land Aiyuk and then sign him to a big deal to become their No. 1 wide receiver for years to come.
Justin Fields
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Justin Fields is the Patriots' out-of-the-box trade option.
There is a scenario in which the Patriots do not like whichever of the top three quarterbacks who fall to them in the 2024 draft class.
If that happens, they could give up two draft picks in a trade with Chicago for Fields and then take Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 3.
A Fields-Harrison connection could build a strong foundation in New England and allow the team to have its quarterback and wide receiver of the future.
New England could always draft a quarterback in the latter rounds or sign a veteran quarterback to back up Fields in case he does not work out.
A Fields trade seems unlikely because of the Patriots' position in the first round, but it's possible if New England doesn't view Maye or Daniels as can't-miss.
Salary-cap information via Spotrac.
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