No, the Patriots Aren’t Trading for Terry McLaurin (And Yes, That’s Still a Problem)

The Patriots aren’t trading for Terry McLaurin. Nobody is. This is just page one of the NFL wide receiver contract negotiation playbook. Player wipes team logos from Instagram, media stirs the pot, fans lose their minds. Then? He re-signs. Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Cee Dee Lamb—same script. DK Metcalf was the rare exception, but Seattle’s been tearing it down. The Commanders? Not so much.

Washington is finally flirting with competence for the first time in 30 years. McLaurin’s been their lone bright spot through the darkest of times—reliable, professional, and flat-out good.

Still, I’ve seen some takes (from "experts," of course) that the Patriots shouldn’t trade for McLaurin even if he became available, because of the price? Excuse me—have you seen the Patriots’ wide receivers since Julian Edelman left? What exactly are we protecting here? The legacy of Kendrick Bourne?

McLaurin is exactly the type of WR the Patriots have failed to draft or develop since forever. He’s a legitimate NFL wideout, even at 30. And yes, that’s the going rate when you’re bad at your job and have been for three decades.

And no, Stephon Diggs is not the answer. He was already halfway to irrelevance before he even showed up, and we’re all just waiting for his next blow boat incident. He wasn’t even the first choice—just the consolation prize because, once again, the Patriots couldn’t close the deal on their real targets. Wonder why.

So whether it’s McLaurin or not (it’s not), the Patriots need to grow up, write the check, and finally invest in a real wide receiver. Stop pretending you’re smarter than the rest of the league when you’re sitting in the WR bargain bin for the 12th straight year.

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