Patriots Daily
Patriots Football Daily: More Unhappy Wide Receivers?
The NFL offseason always features plenty of rumors of disgruntled players and a million hypothetical trade proposals. But this year there seems to be more validity than usual to certain rumors. Several star wide receivers are looking for new contracts, which could force their current teams to move them. Could this end up benefitting the New England Patriots?
The Cincinnati Bengals designated Tee Higgins with a franchise tag, which prompted Higgins to formally request a trade after no extension talks took place. Higgins had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022. San Francisco 49ers star receiver Brandon Aiyuk has also formally requested a trade after weeks of speculation. He has one year remaining on his contract. Aiyuk was the No. 2 ranked wide receiver in the NFL by Pro Football Focus last season.
In addition to these known commodities, two other superstars may follow suit. Both CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings did not attend the beginning of voluntary offseason workouts with their respective teams.
It is worth noting that these workouts are 100% voluntary. Players cannot be punished in any way for skipping. Just the same, these moves certainly got the attention of the public. Both are elite wide receivers known to be looking for a new contract.
From @NFLTotalAccess: Two big-name WRs — CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson — were not present for voluntary offseason conditioning as they await contract extensions. pic.twitter.com/nlXpusmytP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 15, 2024
The issue for the New England Patriots, or any team trading for any of these wide receivers, is they need to give up trade capital (likely in the form of NFL Draft picks) in addition to the cost of whatever their new contract will be. But perhaps having multiple disgruntled star wideouts on the market could bring down the cost of acquiring one of them. It would certainly be a big splash to begin the Eliot Wolf Era in Foboro. Stay tuned.
Also in today’s Patriots Football Daily:
New England Patriots
Tom Brady playing for the Patriots again? He says it’s possible
Kelley: I’m done discussing “The Dynasty”
New England Patriots Roster Breakdown
Comeback for All-Pro Marcus Jones
Safety Joshuah Bledsoe fights for a roster spot
Bryce Baringer solidified as the Patriots punter in 2024
NFL Draft
Ranking the Top 30 Running Backs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Dan Kelley’s Seven-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft
New England Top 30 Visits
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy
Penn State offensive tackle Caedan Wallace
Georgia State offensive tackle Travis Glover
Boston Bruins
Go to our sibling site Boston Hockey Now to check out the great Boston Bruins coverage from Jimmy Murphy and the BHN team. The NHL season is underway and plenty is happening in the Bruins 100 Anniversary season.
Boston Hockey Now – Murphy: Danton Heinen should with 7th Player Award
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Football Fun Fact of the Day
Assuming long snapper Joe Cardona makes the New England Patriots 2024 roster, he will become the longest-tenured draft pick on the team. This distinction has belonged to 14 other players throughout the franchise’s history. In chronological order: Ron Burton, Don Webb, Jon Morris, Tom Neville, Julius Adams, Steve Grogan, Andre Tippett, Bruce Armstrong, Drew Bledsoe, Troy Brown, Tedy Bruschi, Kevin Faulk, Tom Brady, and Matthew Slater.
Post of the Day
Speaking of Evan Lazar, showcasing Joe Cardona making a successful snap and tackle on the same play:
How about long snapper Joe Cardona getting down the field to make the tackle in punt coverage. Pretty good stick too. #Patriots pic.twitter.com/n4W59Imoo8
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) August 31, 2018
