Sportsnaut
By all appearances, Drake Maye‘s development is going extremely well. The second-year player ranks fifth in passing yards, helping the New England Patriots get out to a strong 4-2 start. That’s as many wins as they had in each of the past two individual seasons.
Yet, not everything is perfect in New England. If we’re getting picky, the Patriots could use another impact receiver if they want to not only reach the postseason, but possibly advance too.
One idea that could quickly become a reality is the Patriots trading for New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave. He’s reportedly been made available by the Saints, and coach Mike Vrabel has strong ties to Olave’s alma mater, Ohio State, from when he was their linebacker coach in 2011 and their defensive line coach from 2012 to 2013.
Recently, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer highlighted Olave as a “name” Patriots fans “want to keep an eye on.” If the Patriots do have interest, as Breer notes, Vrabel could likely get as much intel as he could possibly want on Olave.
Olave, the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft started his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Then he suffered some injuries and was limited to just eight games, tallying 400 yards in his third season of play.
Yet, Olave has recovered nicely. He’s already up to 342 yards and a touchdown across six games, putting him on pace for a respectable 969-yard campaign. Sitting with a $6.1 million cap hit in 2025, Olave is only under contract through 2026 before getting a chance to enter unrestricted free agency.
Still, to teams looking for another speed threat, Olave would provide a proven option who will not only stick around for the next 11 games, but also 17 more in 2026 too.
While he clearly offers star potential, agreeing on fair trade compensation for the Saints’ top receiver could be tricky. Yet, if New Orleans is motivated to capitalize on Olave’s value, trading him before the NFL trade deadline could make a lot of sense, for the right price.
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