Despite going 4-13 in both 2023 and 2024, the New England Patriots are in a good spot. They have a widely respected head coach in Mike Vrabel and an up-and-coming Pro Bowl quarterback in Drake Maye.
But beyond those two pieces, the team needs serious work to take the next step. Offensively and defensively, there are glaring holes that need to be addressed.
Perhaps the first order of business is finding elite weapons for Maye. As good as he was in his rookie season, having the right pieces around him could elevate his ceiling.
Will New England Add 49ers Star WR Brandon Aiyuk for Drake Maye?
Last season, a porous offensive line and a lack of playmakers led to a rough year for the Patriots’ offense. They finished in the bottom seven of PFSN’s Offense+ metric (26th), with an offensive line that ranked among the three worst in the league in PFSN’s OL+ metric.
But what hurt them more was the lack of production from their receiving corps. Hunter Henry led all Patriots players with 674 receiving yards, and DeMario Douglas was the only wide receiver to top 600 yards. Suffice it to say, their production didn’t meet expectations.
This offseason, the Patriots were hoping to land a star wide receiver like Chris Godwin from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Tee Higgins from the Cincinnati Bengals, but they both re-signed with their respective teams. Now, Sports Illustrated believes the Patriots could pivot to a trade for San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk.
The 49ers are undergoing a major roster overhaul this offseason and looking to get younger, so SI suggests that New England could use their top-five pick to target Aiyuk.
“The 49ers also should call the Patriots and offer them Aiyuk, the 11th pick, and the 43rd pick for the 4th pick, which they could use to take Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter or Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, while the Patriots would get a No. 1 wide receiver to pair with Drake Maye.”
#49ers Brock Purdy “Go” ball to Brandon Aiyuk https://t.co/5xd7hJUFYV pic.twitter.com/nq60VmktcJ
— 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙎𝙁𝙉𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 (@TheSFNiners) March 18, 2025
A torn ACL and MCL have raised questions about the kind of production Aiyuk can provide moving forward. But before last season, he was coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with 15 touchdowns between 2022 and 2023.
Last year, his numbers dipped to 374 yards with no touchdowns. But with only seven games played, those numbers could have trended higher with more time on the field.
If he can regain his 2022-23 form, he would provide an instant boost to a Patriots offense that desperately needs it. And after turning 27 years old, he still has time to form a strong connection with New England’s potential franchise quarterback.
As a rookie in 2024, Maye started 12 games and flashed his prodigious talent despite a 3-9 record. Maye threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdown passes against just 10 interceptions. He added 421 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Maye was the 19th-best quarterback in the NFL last season, according to PFSN’s QB+ metric. He finished his rookie season with a 74.3 (C) grade, ranking ahead of New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers (72.2), Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (71.9), Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud (67.8), and Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott (65.7) among others.
PFSN’s Ben Rolfe wrote about Maye’s QB+ performance as a rookie, saying, “Given the situation in New England this year, Drake Maye has been excellent. Entering 2024, we weren’t even sure how many games Maye would start, let alone finish the year in the top 20 in QB+. Maye’s offensive line ranks as arguably the worst in the league, and it’s hard to make a case he had anything better than a bottom-three skill-position group.
“In that context, Maye’s numbers are impressive. He finished 22nd in EPA/DB (0.01), ranking 21st from a clean pocket (0.2 EPA/DB) and 18th when pressured (-0.30 EPA/DB). His numbers on third down (34.3%; 27th) and in nYPA (6.1; 31st) leave much to be desired but can be excused given the situation.
“Maye finished the year ranked fourth inside the opposing half with a 0.25 EPA/DB, as well as having a 0.52 EPA/DB in the final two minutes of the first half. Both are good signs of his composure as he moves forward in his career. The Patriots have much to figure out this offseason, but thankfully, the quarterback position doesn’t appear to be one of them.”
New England is hoping Maye can make a leap during his sophomore season, and adding a player of Aiyuk’s caliber could certainly help.
Did New England Do Enough in Free Agency Around Maye?
While the dreams and expectations for New England’s potential free agency haul were sky-high, reality fell short as the Patriots’ bountiful cap space went underutilized as the team seemingly missed out on multiple high-profile options. However, the Pats still have $97+ million in cap space, meaning there is room for more moves to be made.
While no top-tier free agent wide receivers made their way to Foxborough, Mass., plenty of promising moves were still made. The Patriots notably beefed up their trenches with OT Morgan Moses, DT Milton Williams, and EDGE Harold Landry III.
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Notable Signings: CB Carlton Davis III, DT Milton Williams, EDGE Harold Landry III, EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson, OT Morgan Moses, LB Robert Spillane, WR Mack Hollins
Notable Departures: DT Davon Godchaux, CB Jonathan Jones, DE Deatrich Wise Jr., C David Andrews
It’s possible that New England could be saving its splashy moves for the 2025 NFL Draft, but their work during the early free agency period was promising, especially when compared with their coaching hires.
PFSN’s Stats and Insights team gave the Patriots an NFL Free Agency Grade of an A-, commending New England’s meat-and-veggies approach but acknowledging the work that needs to be done offensively.
“The New England Patriots have been one of the most active teams at the start of free agency. They kicked things off by adding Harold Landry III on Sunday and then backed that up by adding talent at all three levels of their defense. The combination of Landry, Milton Williams, Robert Spillane, and Carlton Davis III gives this defense a very different look from what we saw in 2024.
“Davis and Christian Gonzalez are now one of the strongest cornerback duos in the NFL. Adding Williams and Landry to a defensive line with Christian Barmore means the Patriots have assembled a very talented group across their front. Williams, at $26 million per year, may end up looking like an overpay. Still, the Patriots have cap space to spend, and Williams has proven himself capable of causing havoc in opposing passing games.
“Offensively, there is still more work to do, but adding the veteran stability and reliability of Morgan Moses at tackle is a shrewd move. They still need to add more talent at wide receiver to give Drake Maye more reliable weapons, and losing long-time center David Andrews hurts an already shaky offensive line.”
With plenty of leftover cap space, the Patriots can be content with their offseason moves and look ahead to 2026 — or hope a disgruntled star becomes available midseason or after next season. But if they want to be aggressive, Aiyuk could be a savvy addition to expedite Maye’s development in his sophomore campaign.
The proposed trade Aiyuk, plus the 11th and 43rd pick for the 4th pick sounds fair to me.
The question is what do we have to give up to get him if it’s a second round pick? Not a big deal but I’m not willing to give up first, the fourth pick overall for him.