The New England Patriots are seeking a key trade with the San Francisco 49ers to provide Drake Maye with the ultimate weapon.
The Patriots picked Maye as the No. 3 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, making him the third quarterback taken off the board after USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels were drafted by the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders respectively.
Now that Maye is officially part of the roster, it seems New England are keen to add more star power to their offence. CBS Sports is reporting that the Patriots had preliminary trade talks with the San Francisco 49ers about wide receiver Deebo Samuel ahead of the draft.
After signing Samuel to a three-year, $73.5 million extension back in 2022, the 49ers owe the 28 year old $28.6 million in 2024 and $24.2 million in 2025. With only $6.3 million in cap space - the eighth-lowest in the NFL - San Francisco could look to offload his pricey contract.
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Many teams would jump at the chance to acquire Samuel, who led the 49ers in yards after catch last season with 527. Across 15 games, he caught 60 receptions for 892 yards and seven touchdowns.
Samuel isn't the only 49ers wideout that the Patriots have been linked to. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport suggested the possibility of New England offering the No. 34 overall pick and late-round selections in a trade package for Brandon Aiyuk.
The whispers about Aiyuk's potential exit from San Francisco have been circulating for a while now. The 26 year old and the 49ers are reportedly at odds over a contract extension, with ESPN recently hinting that Aiyuk's "desire to get paid is greater than his desire to stay."
With a number of players already on hefty contracts, the 49ers may find it challenging to offer Aiyuk a market-value deal if he hits free agency. The standout wide receiver is due to earn $14.1 million in 2024 and could command around $24.9 million annually on his next contract, according to Spotrac.
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In the past two seasons, Aiyuk has proven himself as one of the NFL's elite receivers, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards each year. He's improving with every game, leading the 49ers with 75 catches and 1,342 receiving yards in 2023. Even after bringing back former 49ers WR Kendrick Bourne and signing ex-Vikings slot receiver K. J.
Last season, not a single New England player broke the 600-yard receiving mark, with rookie Demario Douglas topping the list at a mere 561 yards. Elsewhere, the 49ers havs drafted Ricky Pearsall from Florida as the No. 31 overall selection in Thursday's draft - another addition to their packed wide receiver division.
Yet, head coach Kyle Shanahan seemed doubtful about a possible trade regarding Samuel or Aiyuk. "It doesn't seem that likely to be honest," he confessed to reporters, according to ESPN, before jokingly adding: "But I'm still on the table. If someone offered [owner] Jed [York] and John good stuff for me, I'm going to be out of here."