NFL Insider Proposes Patriots Trade For Veteran Wide Receiver

The Patriots should listen to trade offers for all of their wide receivers, but New England also must make sure it has enough capable pass-catchers to finish the season.

Perhaps a trade with a fellow cellar dweller could check both of those boxes for Jerod Mayo and company.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Tuesday shed light on the Patriots’ activity in the lead-up to the NFL trade deadline, revealing the club has “gotten calls” about Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn. Those receivers seemingly would command different kinds of suitors. Osborn makes sense for a contender, while Thornton could be a worthwhile project for a rebuilding side.

The Panthers certainly fit the mold of a team that could be interested in Thornton, and Breer floated a scenario where New England and Carolina could help each other out.

“So if you wanna add some maturity to the room, maybe a player-for-player swap, you trade Tyquan Thornton to the Carolina Panthers for Adam Thielen,” Breer said on “Arbella Early Edition,” as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “Like, that could be something you might be able to look at, right? Maybe you send the Panthers a pick on top of that.”

If Thielen has any say in the matter, he probably wouldn’t push for a trade to the Patriots. It would be a lateral move in terms of team success, and at this point, the 34-year-old probably only wants to relocate if he’s going to have a better chance to win.

As for New England, more leadership in the locker room could be of great benefit. But in a lost season, the Patriots probably are better off seeing what they have in their younger and inexperienced players.