What was once old became new again earlier this weekwhen the New England Patriots brought back Josh McDaniels to be head coach Mike Vrabel's offensive coordinator. The Canton, OH native has been in and out of the Patriots organization throughout the last 24 years, leaving time to tell how he'll perform in his third stint.
If the Patriots want McDaniels' offense to succeed this fall, they must give him as many useful tools as possible. Although some of these needs can be addressed via free agency in March, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf could also look to the trade market for help.
Here are three trade targets the Patriots must consider to bolster McDaniels' attack.
1. Cooper Kupp, WR
Rumors have swirled this offseason regarding the Los Angeles Rams potentially trading star wide receiver Cooper Kupp. If that's the case, the Patriots should definitely get in on the mix.
The Rams could be looking to trade Kupp for a few reasons.
For starters, injuries have caused the former Offensive Player of the Year's production to decline in recent seasons. On top of that, fellow L.A. WR Puka Nacua's superstar emergence only limited Kupp's opportunities as the 2024 campaign progressed, highlighted by his tallying just 10 receptions in his final five games.
On the Patriots, Kupp would easily be the focal point of McDaniels' offense. Although New England has several solid wideouts on the roster (Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, etc.), none of them are the clear-cut No. 1 option that the 31-year-old playmaker has proven to be.
Even if his numbers are down in 2024, Kupp still posted more receptions (67), receiving yards (710), and touchdowns (7) than any Patriots pass-catcher did despite only appearing in 12 games.
Having more than enough room to fit his $29.7 million salary cap hit next season, the Patriots should trade for Kupp before another team swoops in and steals him.
2. Jakobi Meyers, WR
Earlier this month, Chowder & Champion's Richard Louis urged the Patriots to trade for Las Vegas Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers this offseason. Thinking about it more, there are a handful of reasons why a reunion makes sense.
For starters, the Patriots are already familiar with Meyers. The former NC State product spent four seasons in New England after going undrafted in 2019, ultimately leaving town to join the Raiders on a three-year deal during the 2023 offseason. Interestingly enough, Meyers wanted to remain with the Pats, who refused to give him $1 million to keep him in town.
Joining the Raiders ended up reuniting Meyers with McDaniels, who was the Raiders head coach at the time. The duo also spent three seasons working together in New England, which paid off as Meyers erupted with 807 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 71 catches in 16 games.
Sure, McDaniels was fired halfway through that campaign, but it's worth noting that over half of Meyers' yards (404) and TDs (5) came during the seven games he played under the former.
The Lithonia, GA native has since taken his came to the next level, coming off a 2024 season that saw him record career-highs in receptions (87) and yards (1,027) while finding the end zone four times in 15 games. He's now scheduled to carry a $14.9 million cap hit on the final year of his contract, which is a price tag the Patriots wouldn't mind if he can replicate the above production.
Familiar with both McDaniels and the Patriots organization, it's time for Meyers to come home.
3. A.J. Brown, WR
Even though A.J. Brown is back in another Super Bowl with the Eagles, that doesn't mean he'll be back in Philadelphia for the 2025 campaign.
Brown has made it abundantly clear that he isn't thrilled about his usage this season. He's openly called for the Eagles to call more passing plays and the trade rumors only got louder when he was caught reading a book on the sidelines during Wild Card Weekend.
Win or lose in New Orleans, the Eagles could be open to a Brown-related trade with the Patriots. New England can certainly afford the former Ole Miss playmaker's $96 million extension that goes into effect next season while also boasting enough draft picks to pry him out of Philly.
A trade would also reunite Brown with Vrabel, who was the former's head coach for three seasons (2019-21) with the Tennessee Titans. In a recent interview with WEEI 93.7 FM, the Patriots' new HC appeared to be open to a reunion.
"We'll see (about a trade)... I'm proud of (Brown's) development, his personal development, and working on himself," Vrabel said. "He's a passionate player, and I love him to death. I have a very, very close relationship with him."
It'd be interesting to see if Brown could take his game to the next level with McDaniels as his OC. He's already improved since he last played under Vrabel, turning 261 receptions into 4,031 yards and 25 TDs across 47 games with the Eagles.
If the Patriots wind up trading for Brown this offseason, their offense will improve tenfold because of it.