NFL Rumors: 3 teams dumb enough to trade for Chase Claypool

No. 2 Chase Claypool trade suitor: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have a solid collection of receivers, but there is a stark absence of a true No.1 target. That's not to suggest Claypool can become that dude for New England, but there's room for a talented player to separate himself from the crowd in an offense that tends to spread the wealth.

Concerns about Mac Jones' future persist, but he's a spry young QB who is far more conducive to productive WR play than Justin Fields. The Patriots have the feel of a run-dependent team with Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott, but Jones gets the chance to air it out — especially when the Patriots are battling back from a deficit.

Claypool would slot in next to DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster on the Patriots' WR depth chart. New England's tight ends also get a fair amount of targets, in classic Patriots fashion. This isn't necessarily Claypool's best chance to be the workhorse, but no such role exists for him now. He needs to prove his ability to work within a team context. There's no better place for career reclamation than Foxboro.

It's hard to see Claypool outwardly disrespecting Bill Belichick in the same way he outwardly disrespected Matt Eberflus, Luke Getsy, and his coaches in Chicago. The Patriots, even in their current defunct state, still feel like a refuge for talented outcasts hoping to find their NFL home. New England has some ground to make up in the AFC East, and maybe a low-risk swing for Claypool fancies the front office as a result.