An offseason with infinite possibilities is just beginning for the New England Patriots.
With a new head coach in franchise legend Mike Vrabel and an exciting young quarterback in Drake Maye, the Patriots have plenty of reason for optimism. Unfortunately, the rest of the roster is in need of a major facelift.
Maye had no reliable receivers to throw to in 2024, which is a nightmare for any quarterback, let alone a rookie. Whether they do so via trade or in the upcoming draft, finding some easy targets for their franchise QB will be a top priority for New England.
One name that will be frequently speculated as a fit for the Patriots this spring is the San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel. He’s three years removed from his lone All-Pro season in 2021, and the 49ers would be happy to get out of the final year of his $71 million extension.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan proposed a hypothetical trade that would send Samuel to New England in exchange for the Patriots’ 2025 fourth-round pick (number 107 overall).
“The fourth-round pick is a popular price tag for Samuel as it mirrors prior deals that we use as a baseline in these hypothetical trades,” Sullivan wrote. “For instance, the Bears traded a fourth-round pick (No. 110) to the Los Angeles Chargers last offseason to acquire receiver Keenan Allen.”
“New England has the most cap space in the league this offseason, so a trade for Samuel wouldn’t preclude them from making other necessary moves to improve the roster and even adding more pass-catching help.”
The Patriots would admittedly be getting Samuel at a low point, after he set a new career-worst with 44.7 receiving yards per game. Even if he can’t be expected to put up 1,700 total yards again, however, a fresh start in an offense without many stars around him could unlock an improved version of Samuel.
Samuel comes with a cap hit of $15.8 million and carries $31 million of dead cap for the 2025 season. While he’s expensive, it’s only a one-year commitment, and the Patriots have more financial flexibility than any other club at the moment.