Could the New England Patriots try to satisfy their need at wide receiver by swinging a deal with the Denver Broncos for Courtland Sutton?
The Patriots entered the offseason with a clear hole at wide out. Everyone knew this. They had their sights set on Calvin Ridley right from the beginning, but Ridley ultimately spurned them for the Tennessee Titans.
This left New England out in the cold in spite of its expansive cap room, as the Pats were unable to land a receiver in free agency.
The Patriots own the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft next month, but they will almost certainly be using that selection to take a quarterback.
Of course, New England can always take a receiver in the later rounds of the draft, but it may want to acquire an established player at the position.
That’s why talking to the Broncos about Sutton may be a good idea.
The Pats could send a third-round pick and a 2025 sixth-rounder to Denver in exchange for Sutton, which would provide the Patriots with a legitimate weapon while also giving the Broncos some solid draft capital.
Sutton has two years remaining on his deal and is slated to earn $26.5 million in base salary over those two seasons, so the Broncos would surely like to get out from under that money.
The 28-year-old is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 16 games and hauled in 59 receptions for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Sutton is certainly not a No. 1 receiver at this stage of his career, but New England simply needs weapons in general, especially after striking out in free agency.
The Pats are definitely not going to want their incoming rookie quarterback with no receivers to throw to, so investigating a trade for Courtland Sutton may not be the worst idea.
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