Although we're now entering a lull part of any NFL offseason, there are still plenty of blockbuster moves that could happen before the season begins. The Patriots are one of the teams that could make a significant trade to bolster their roster further, as they have an estimated $60 million in cap space remaining. But they won't be the only ones looking to do so.
There are roster holdouts worthy of paying attention to for almost any team in the league, something Mike Vrabel has already said the Patriots will be monitoring. One of the most headline-worthy situations is the one between the Bengals and pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. The Patriots have been connected to him via trade proposals since news broke that contract talks have dwindled in Cincinnati, but now the Bills have entered the chat in the most nightmare-ish way possible.
Because things still seem far apart in contract talks with the Bengals and Hendrickson, some teams could try to trade for him. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report lists the Bills as a potential suitor, which would be a terrible situation for the Patriots.
"The Buffalo Bills would be a fantastic fit for the edge rusher. The team is in need of more pass-rushing prowess, especially with offseason acquisition Joey Bosa already dealing with injuries that have kept him out of practice."
The Patriots need to hope the Bills don't pull off a miracle trade for Trey Hendrickson this offseason
The Buffalo Bills are still considered to be in their championship window, and as a result, will likely be willing to do what it takes to add star power to their roster and increase their chances of a Super Bowl victory. They don't have a lot of draft capital to offer, nor much cap space to utilize, but desperate teams will take desperate measures, and the Bills might be in that state of mind.
That could include a major trade for a player like Hendrickson, which Kay believes could happen as long as the Bengals lower their asking price.
"If Cincy is willing to come down on a lofty asking price, the Bills shouldn’t hesitate to send over a Round 2 pick to add one of the best sack creators of the past half-decade and bolster their Super Bowl aspirations."
That would be the worst-case scenario for a team like the Patriots, who hope to have put together a viable team this offseason to compete in the division. Adding a player of Hendrickson's caliber, who has racked up 35 sacks over the last two seasons, would jeopardize that almost instantly.
Fortunately for Vrabel and Co., Buffalo doesn't have much to offer, with Kay suggesting they send just a 2026-second-round pick to Cincy for Hendrickson. That's likely not enough and could jeopardize their chance of acquiring the multi-time Pro Bowler.
Making matters even better for the Patriots, the latest news as of Sunday afternoon suggests that the Bengals and Hendrickson have resumed contract talks and hope to finalize an extension sooner rather than later. Although that ends any possibility of the pass rusher ending up in New England via an unbelievable trade, it also means they won't have to worry about him throwing down Drake Maye in a Bills uniform instead.
