The Patriots' tries to improve their competitiveness by spending money NFL to build their team for 2024 has not worked well, as they still have $50 million in cap space and have only made minor additions to a team that did poorly last year, going 4-13. However, the team is looking better than in 2023, but even getting to eight wins seems unlikely at the moment.
This could change after the NFL draft, where the Patriots have the third overall pick and are likely to strengthen their weak offense. Additionally, they still have the option of trading for unhappy players, which can be a good way to use up cap space if regular free agency doesn't work out.
The Patriots have a need for disgruntled star players, especially at wide receiver, and both Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers and Higgins’ teammate Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals could be potential trade options. Brandon Aiyuk and the Bengals’ Tee Higgins are among the unhappy players who could be traded. Trey Hendricksonis another potential trade target, and the Patriots are a logical choice for him to go to.
Trey Hendrickson is set to earn $15 million this season.
That’s the report from USA Today on Thursday suggested that the Patriots could be a good landing spot for Hendrickson, who is still in his prime at 29 years old and had a career-high 17.5 sacks last year. He has been selected for the Pro Bowl for three consecutive years. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that Hendrickson is not happy with his current contract and wants to leave.
But According to Schefter, Bengals' Trey Hendrickson has asked to be traded because he is not satisfied with his $15 million deal for this season and is seeking a more secure long-term contract. ESPN reported that Hendrickson is not content with his current deal.
“Bengals three-time Pro-Bowl DE Trey Hendrickson has requested to be traded from Cincinnati, per league source. Hendrickson is due to make $15 million this season, and is looking for more long-term security than Cincinnati has been willing to offer,” Schefter said.
Hendrickson has a contract for $14.8 million this year and $15.8 million next year. He has a dead cap hit of just $2.7 million next season. He signed a four-year, $60 million contract to join the Bengals in 2021. USA Today sees any upgrade in talent for the Patriots as a good move, even if it's not a wide receiver.
The Patriots have a lot of cap space, over $50 million, available to spend, so it's not far-fetched to think that they might pursue a veteran pass-rusher like Hendrickson, even though they are currently in a rebuilding phase.
It wouldn't be surprising if New England wants to bring in Hendrickson to set a certain tone on the field and in the locker room. They may not be the favorites, but they have more money for a contract extension than any other team in the NFL.
The Patriots might consider trading Matthew Judon, their own veteran pass-rusher.
There has been talk in New England about possibly moving on from Matthew Judon, who had a strong season in 2022 but got injured four games into the 2023 season.
At 32 years old, Judon may not fit into the Patriots’ plans for rebuilding. Swapping Judon for Hendrickson could be a great way for New England to upgrade and get slightly younger at the same time. It does still seem unlikely, though. Maybe Hendrickson is just using a complicated tactic to get a long-term contract from Cincinnati. He may not really plan to leave the Bengals.After Schefter’s report, there was a lot of pushback from team sources regarding the Bengals’ refusal to trade Hendrickson, which has been their stance on Higgins as well.
From Paul Dehner of The Athletic,
on Twitter/X
, “I can also confirm the
have no interest in trading him and do not plan to do so. Just like with Tee Higgins, they are focused on winning the Super Bowl this year, not trading their star players.” The Patriots are in need of a talent upgrade and even though Trey Hendrickson may not fulfill a specific roster need, USA Today suggests they should still pursue him., “I can also confirm the #Bengals have zero interest in dealing him and don’t intend to do so. Just as with Tee Higgins, they are trying to win the Super Bowl this year, not deal stars.”
