Could Patriots Have Shot at Ja’Marr Chase?

Could the New England Patriots have a shot to trade for Cincinnati Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase?

Sep 23, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrates after his touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Paycor Stadium. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

There are two clear-cut needs the New England Patriots will need to focus on during the upcoming NFL offseason: adding more help on the offensive line and bringing in an elite wide receiver top the list.

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

Looking closer at the wide receiver position, New England has been connected heavily to Cincinnati Bengals star Tee Higgins. However, could they target another Bengals' wideout instead?

Ja'Marr Chase is a name that has drawn some trade speculation due to his contract situation. It's likely that Cincinnati will figure something out with him, but if the Bengals are open to a trade the Patriots should go all-out to get him.

Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated has suggested a potential trade between the two teams featuring Chase.

In his trade proposal, he has New England acquiring 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, that would be a massive investment from the Patriots. They would also have to lock Chase up to a monster extension.

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

During the 2024 NFL season thus far with the Bengals, Chase has played in 12 games, racking up 79 receptions for 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is also just 24 years old with a ton of elite football ahead of him.

From a pure talent perspective, Chase is a top-two wide receiver in the NFL.

Clearly, this kind of an offseason blockbuster trade is very unlikely. But, the Patriots have the kind of assets that it would take to swing this big of a move.

Expect to hear a ton of rumors surrounding New England in the offseason. Don't be surprised if they end up with one of the Cincinnati wide receivers. More than likely, it will end up being Higgins assuming they get one.

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