The Patriots did not swing a trade for Jerry Jeudy this past offseason despite multiple reports linking them to the Broncos wideout.
But with Denver now in full teardown mode, they could have another chance to do so.
FanBuzz’s Matt Lombardo reported Tuesday, citing multiple league sources, that the Broncos are expected to move Jeudy ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
Sean Payton’s 1-4 club already jettisoned highly paid edge rusher Randy Gregory (to San Francisco last week) and reportedly is expected to do the same with fellow defender Frank Clark in the coming days. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton also has been rumored as a potential trade candidate as Payton retools his roster amid a disappointing debut season at Mile High.
Acquiring Sutton or Jeudy would provide a boost to New England’s struggling receiving corps, but the latter is the more intriguing of the two targets.
Jeudy hasn’t posted the gaudiest stats since being drafted 15th overall in 2020, and he’s dealt with a variety of injuries in his career. But he’s young (24), played for a Patriots pipeline program at Alabama and would add some much-needed athleticism and explosiveness to a stagnant position group.
At 1-4, New England shouldn’t be selling out for short-term roster boosts, but trading for Jeudy could be a future-minded move, as well. Jeudy is under contract through the 2024 season (his fifth-year option, which Denver picked this past offseason), and the Patriots have more than enough future cap space to sign him to an extension.
Jeudy caught 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns last season in one of the NFL’s worst offenses. In four games this season, he has 17 catches on 24 targets for 208 yards and no scores. His per-game catch and yardage numbers would lead all Patriots pass-catchers.
New England doesn’t have a player ranked in the top 50 in receptions or receiving yards entering Sunday’s Week 6 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, and its offense as a whole ranks at or near the bottom of the NFL in most categories.
