NFL Rumors: Patriots making calls for potential blockbuster trades

The New England Patriots have the most salary cap space in the league, but that doesn't mean acquiring free-agent talent will be easy. A few years ago, the best free agents used to line up at the doorstep of Gillette Stadium, clamoring for a chance to win a Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

Those days are gone. The Patriots finished with a 4-13 record in 2023, and their 2024 outlook doesn't seem much brighter. The best unrestricted free agents won't be particularly interested in joining a rebuild.

New England's empire has fallen, and rebuilding it won't be easy. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the Patriots won't be either. To attract talented players, the team will first have to build a foundation with draft picks and trades.

Although the first day of the legal tampering period was relatively quiet for the Patriots, the team has discussed potential trades with the Los Angeles Chargers, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

NFL Rumors: Patriots have reached out to Chargers about potential trade

A trade would make sense for both sides. The Chargers are $25.9 million over the salary cap spending limit, which is the largest overage in the league. All clubs must be salary cap compliant by 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13, which leaves Los Angeles with roughly 24 hours to get under the spending limit. Trading with the Patriots, who lead the league with $78.9 million in salary cap space, is an obvious way to relieve the financial burden.

The most obvious choices for the Chargers to trade are wide receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen and defensive ends Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. All four players have salary cap hits of more than $30 million in 2024.

For the Patriots, a trade for a wide receiver would align with the team's recent comments and free agency pursuits.

The team has expressed interest in free agent wide receiver Calvin Ridley, but he would rather return to the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Patriots director of scouting and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf said that New England was planning on "weaponizing the offense." The Patriots offense ranked near the bottom of most statistical categories in 2023. They were plagued by poor quarterback and offensive line play, and have been bereft of playmakers.

“In terms of physical skills, we need to weaponize the offense,” Wolf said. “We need to be faster and more explosive on defense. Height, weight, speed, playmaking ability – there will definitely be an emphasis on those things.”

There were rumors that the Patriots would take an aggressive approach heading into free agency. Former quarterback and current team broadcaster Scott Zolak said the Patriots would begin free agency with "fireworks" and have "lots of irons in the fire."

A trade for one of the Chargers' star players would certainly be worthy of fireworks.