Patriots Should Be All Over Reported Trade Asking Price for Star WR

The New England Patriots have a promising future and a lot of that has to do with quarterback Drake Maye. The former 2024 third-overall selection thrived as a rookie despite the lack of offensive weapons surrounding him, displaying potential through the air and on the ground en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Even though Maye excelled mostly on his own devices, the Patriots would be wise to find him a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver this offseason. While various names have been thrown around as potential targets, Cooper Kupp should be near the top of the list after the L.A. Rams made it clear they want to trade the former All-Pro WR.

Patriots Must Trade for Cooper Kupp After Rams' Asking Price Revealed

During the Super Bowl 59 pre-game show, NFL insider Adam Schefter spoke about the Rams' desire to trade Kupp this offseason, including the reported asking price.

"When you speak to people around the league, they see Keenan Allen go last year for a fourth-round pick and they believe that Cooper Kupp is in a similar situation," Schefter said.

After spending 11 seasons in Los Angeles, the Chargers traded Allen to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick last March. Many Chargers fans assumed the six-time Pro Bowl WR would be with the franchise for life, which is exactly how the Rams fanbase felt about Kupp.

Nevertheless, the NFL is a business, and player movement is all a part of the job. With that in mind, the Patriots shouldn't waste any time taking advantage of the situation if it will only take a fourth-round pick (and maybe a sweetener) to land a receiver of Kupp's caliber.

Since debuting in 2017, Kupp has gone on to record 7,776 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns on 634 catches across 104 games with the Rams. The former 2021 Offensive Player of the Year's production has slowed down lately, however, he was still an effective threat turning 67 receptions into 710 yards and six TDs last season.

It isn't hard to imagine how adding Kupp to Josh McDaniels' offense could help take Maye's game to the next level. The ex-Eastern Washington WR would've led the Patriots in receptions, receiving yards, and TD grabs last season despite only suiting up for 12 appearances.

As for the financial aspect of a potential trade, the Patriots have more than enough money to spare. Spotrac is projecting them to have the most available cap space this offseason ($123.7 million), giving them more than enough to fit his $29.7 million cap hit.

It's now been three consecutive seasons without playoff football in New England — the longest drought in over 30 years. Acquiring an offensive difference-maker like Kupp would go a long way to help the Patriots prevent that trend from continuing in 2025.

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