The New England Patriots are kicking off the Mike Vrabel era in style. They added wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the offseason to give Drake Maye a bonafide WR1.
And, there could be some more moves made by the front office in hopes of making a playoff run.
With OTAs underway, there are some contract disputes with numerous star players around the league. One of them is Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. As such, Kevin Patra of NFL.com mentioned the Patriots as a potential trade partner on that front if the Bengals decide to move on.
“The Bengals are unlikely to be interested in moving Hendrickson, as that’s not how they roll. However, if there is a divorce, New England is a good new partner. Mike Vrabel could use a legit No. 1 edge to anchor his defense, and the Pats still have cap space. Sure, they’ve shelled out a lot on D already this offseason, but they should continue to take big swings while Drake Maye is still on a rookie deal. Adding Hendrickson would get them a big stride closer to threatening the Bills’ divisional dominance.”
Hendrickson said there had been no communication between the team and his camp since the draft, which puts his future into question.
But, as Patra wrote, it is unlikely that the Bengals move on from Hendrickson, at least right now. However, if they change their minds, the Patriots could be an option to acquire the four-time Pro Bowler and give Vrabel a star on the defensive line.
