A Patriots offense built for Drake Maye: As much talent as Drake Maye showed in his rookie season, a simultaneous talking point became the glaring deficiencies around him in the Patriots' offense. The team had multiple clearcut needs heading into the offseason, including at offensive line and wide receiver.
So far in free agency, Mike Vrabel and the Patriots have been able to add a plethora of talented players, but mostly on the defensive side of the ball. Other than the signing of wide receiver Mack Hollins, the Patriots have largely failed to add skill position talent around Maye.
The upcoming NFL Draft, in which the Patriots hold the fourth overall pick, provides a chance to add a playmaker. Recent mock drafts have implied that Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (a versatile player who could line up at both wide receiver and cornerback) might be a good fit, but there's no guarantee the former Colorado star won't get picked before New England is on the clock.
ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes outlined the point during a recent "NFL Live" segment. After acknowledging that Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter would also make a worthy top selection -- instantly becoming the team's top edge rusher -- Kimes circled back around to the need at wide receiver.
"All of that said, there is a lot of work to be done on this offense to help Drake Maye," said Kimes. "I know they tried and they missed on guys like Chris Godwin, Ronnie Stanley.
"They need to continue to be aggressive," she continued. "It can't just be the draft, whether it's a Tyler Lockett or Stefon Diggs."
Kimes then went on step further, identifying an intriguing trade possibility: Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.
"I would pick up the phone and call the Steelers about George Pickens now that they've signed D.K. Metcalf," she explained. "They have to be aggressive about doing something, because right now Maye does not have enough help."
Pickens, 24, has played for the Steelers for three years, averaging 947 receiving yards per season. The 2022 second-round pick has showcased a capacity to make big plays downfield, but might not be in Pittsburgh's long-term plans now that the team has committed a larger amount of money to Metcalf.
One interesting twist could be that a potential competitor in a Pickens trade scenario might end up being Tom Brady and the Las Vegas Raiders. Brady, now a part-owner of the Raiders, was included in a photo Pickens recently posted on his Instagram story, causing speculation that he might want to head to Las Vegas if a trade is on the table.
The notion that the Steelers could trade Pickens is seen as "not a forgone conclusion," according to team beat writer Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Still, Rutter thinks the door is open.
"There is definitely a good chance," he said during a recent episode of the "Breakfast With Benz" podcast.
"I think by the draft, [the Steelers] will have pretty much everything in place," Rutter concluded. "I could still see a draft-day trade coming, with them to move Pickens to maybe get a second-rounder."
Trivia: The Patriots did choose a wide receiver two picks before the Steelers selected Pickens in the second round of the 2022 draft. Can you remember who that was?
Also from Tuesday, the Boston Fleet defeated the Montréal Victoire 3-2 in a shootout at the Tsongas Center (highlights below).
Today, the Red Sox face the Tigers in a spring training game at 1:05 p.m.
Tomorrow, the Bruins face the Golden Knights in Las Vegas at 10 p.m.
Baylor Scheierman's moment: The Celtics rookie had a career night on Tuesday, and received some support from teammates during a postgame interview with Jackie MacMullan.
Fleet highlights: A shootout provided a thrilling conclusion to Boston's win over Montreal on Tuesday.
On this day: In 1981, Danny Ainge ran the length of the court to score the winning basket in a 51-50 BYU win over Notre Dame in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Daily highlight: From over the weekend, Bryant catcher Cam Pepetti made an incredible catch, and then completed the improbable double play.