Patriots Trade Idea Lands Chris Olave

The New England Patriots are in the midst of a franchise reset. They have their new head coach in Mike Vrabel, a young signal caller entering year two of his NFL career in Drake Maye, and a new look roster after spending nearly $300 million in free agency.

Even after a draft class that saw them have the No. 4 pick, the roster still is incomplete, and it remains to be seen if they have what it takes to compete in a loaded AFC.

One way to level the playing field may be to obtain more firepower for an offense that ranked 31st in the league last year, and also make sure Maye has the tools to succeed at the pro level.

While they were able to sign wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency, he's on the wrong side of 30 and isn't a long-term solution in New England's wide receiver room. Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Kendrick Bourne are nice complementary pieces, but none have shown the ability to be a bona fide star in the NFL.

Enter New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) looks to throw the ball against the Houston Texans during the first half at Gillette Stadium.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Saints are in purgatory. Their starting quarterback of the last two seasons, Derek Carr, retired this offseason due to injuries. They will be relying on newly drafted quarterback Tyler Shough, Spencer Rattler, and Jake Haener to lead the team this season, and have a new head coach at the helm in Kellen Moore.

It may be in New Orleans' best interest to strip things down to the studs for a full-on rebuild, something the Saints have not been keen to do under general manager Mickey Loomis.

Olave has been rumored to be in trade discussions since the end of the season, and most recently, his name has been floating around the Pittsburgh Steelers as a potential trade candidate.

New England can jump in front of their conference rival and lay out a better offer for the Ohio State product.

Offering up a 2026 third-round pick and one of their young receivers, Douglas or Boutte, should get the deal done, considering Olave is due for a contract extension.

If New England could pull this deal off, having Diggs and Olave for Maye would be one of the better receiving duos in the league, and make his life easier as he looks to establish himself as one of the top signal callers in the NFL.