Could the New England Patriots have taken a shot at Ja’Marr Chase?

There are two clear needs the New England Patriots need to focus on in the upcoming NFL offseason: more help on the offensive line and signing an elite wide receiver at the top of the list.

Basically, the Patriots need to build the offense around Drake Maye and give him as much as possible.

Taking a closer look at the wide receiver position, New England is heavily linked to Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins. However, could they target another Bengal’s wideout instead?

Ja’Marr Chase is a name that has sparked some trade speculation due to his contract situation. It’s likely that Cincinnati will come to terms with him, but if the Bengals are open to a trade, the Patriots should make every effort to get him.

Matt Verderame from Sports Illustrated has suggested a possible trade between the two teams involving Chase.

In his trade proposal, he calls for New England to acquire Chase from Cincinnati in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick, two third-round picks, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick.

Obviously, this would be a huge investment by the Patriots. They would also have to tie Chase to a monster extension.

It would be understandable if New England’s front office balked at that price. They could look elsewhere without giving up as much draft capital. However, Chase is a game-changing impact player.

During the 2024 NFL season with the Bengals, Chase has played in 12 games so far, recording 79 receptions for 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns. Plus, he’s only 24 years old and still has a lot of top-level football ahead of him.

From a pure talent perspective, Chase is one of the top two wide receivers in the NFL.

Obviously, such a blockbuster offseason trade is very unlikely. But the Patriots have the kind of resources it would take to make such a big move.

Expect a ton of rumors surrounding New England this offseason. Don’t be surprised if they end up getting one of Cincinnati’s wide receivers. Most likely it will end up being Higgins, assuming they get one.

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