The New England Patriots made a significant upgrade to their league-worst receiving corps from 2024 by signing four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver on Tuesday. The former Buffalo Bills star inked a three-year deal worth up to $69 million, giving the Patriots an instant playmaker. However, the team is likely not finished improving its receiving group, and a new trade proposal suggests they could capitalize on the San Francisco 49ers’ urgency to further bolster their offense.
He provides second-year quarterback and 2024 No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye with a true No. 1 receiving target. Before missing much of last season due to an ACL injury that required surgery, he had been heavily involved in the Bills’ offense, surpassing 160 targets in three of the last four seasons. In 2022, he saw 154 targets while catching passes from three-time Pro Bowler and 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen.
The Patriots’ passing game in 2024 lacked a go-to option, with no receiver surpassing 100 targets. Instead, tight end Hunter Henry led the team with 97. Maye played 10 full games and parts of three others, with Jacoby Brissett starting five games and Joe Milton III briefly taking over in the season finale.
Diggs, on the other hand, has been a model of consistency, recording at least 103 receptions in each of his last four full seasons. He even led the league in catches in 2020, hauling in 127 passes for 1,535 yards. His arrival gives New England a much-needed boost, but more moves could be on the horizon.
Patriots Still Need More Receiving Help
Given the Patriots’ need for another top wide receiver, 27-year-old Brandon Aiyuk, a 2020 first-round pick (27th overall), could be the perfect fit. The San Francisco 49ers, however, are under pressure to trade him before April 1 due to a contract clause that includes a $22.85 million bonus if Aiyuk remains on the roster when that date arrives.
On Thursday, Matt Couture of the Raise the Banner Boston sports podcast proposed a trade that would send Aiyuk to New England, while the 49ers would get Kendrick Bourne in return. Bourne, who played alongside Aiyuk on the 49ers in 2020, was signed by the Patriots as a free agent in 2021. The potential trade would reunite the two former teammates while addressing both teams’ needs.
49ers Need to Move Aiyuk in a Hurry
The San Francisco 49ers have been actively cutting financial commitments this offseason, and the prevailing belief in the NFL is that they’re looking to avoid the financial burden that would come with keeping Aiyuk on the roster. Meanwhile, the Patriots, despite spending over $300 million on free agent signings recently, still have around $71.9 million in salary cap space available.
Couture suggests that the Patriots could offer their third-round pick (No. 77 overall) in a trade to acquire Aiyuk. This pick was acquired from Atlanta in a trade that sent four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Judon to the Falcons before the 2024 season.
To offset the loss of that draft pick, Couture also proposes that the Patriots trade third-year wide receiver Kayshon Boutte to the New Orleans Saints for their No. 112 overall pick. Boutte, a 2023 sixth-round pick out of LSU, was the Patriots’ third-leading receiver in 2024 with 589 yards.
