New England Patriots inquired about All-Pro player in NFL trade talks

The New England Patriots head into training camp with everything new compared to pretty much the past quarter century.

Obviously, Bill Belichick’s departure as New England’s head coach after winning six Super Bowls in 24 seasons was the major storyline.

Other changes were also the name of the game in New England. That included Jerod Mayo replacing Belichick as head coach and the Patriots using their first-round pick on quarterback Drake Maye.

One can easily conclude that the Pats are in the initial stage of a rebuild regardless of what their brass wants to tell us.

That’s why this most-recent report from NFL insider Josina Anderson is interesting. Immediately after reports noted that Brandon Aiyuk had requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers , Anderson followed up.

She indicates that the Patriots have reached out to San Francisco about Aiyuk. While they were told he is not available, this could very well be an interesting show when it comes to New England.

Related: 10 worst New England Patriots players of all-time

New England Patriots definitely need wide receiver help

New England’s leading returning receiver from last season is Demario Douglas (49 receptions, 561 yards). Kendrick Bourne (37 receptions, 406 yards) comes in second.

If New England wants Maye to succeed out of the gate, it needs to find more receiving help. That is as clear as day.

Whether trading for Aiyuk makes sense is another question. He’s said to be demanding north of $30 million annually in failed extension talks with San Francisco. While there is no indication that the 49ers plan on dealing the All-Pro, the likely ask would start with a first-round pick. This obviously complicates things for New England.

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• San Francisco 49ers news: Star rookie Ricky Pearsall injured heading into training camp
• Agents for Davante Adams push back against Las Vegas Raiders trade rumors