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5 times the Patriots traded for wide receivers in recent history, and how each acquisition panned out
Rumors of a trade for A.J. Brown continue to swirl. Here's a look back at some of New England's impactful wide receiver trades over the years.
Trade rumors surrounding A.J. Brown aren’t halting anytime soon, and the Patriots have long been linked as the best fit to acquire him.
Although Brown didn’t produce at his usual rate in 2025, he’s still only 28 years old and could be an impact addition to any team if the Eagles decided to deal him.
Due to his contract structure, though, a trade for Brown would be unlikely to occur until after June 1. Philadelphia would absorb much less dead money on its salary cap if it waits until the summer.
While teams await a fallout of the potential Brown sweepstakes, here are five wide receiver trades in recent memory, and how each acquisition panned out for the Patriots.
Randy Moss
This was best case scenario for the Patriots, acquiring Moss from the Raiders for a mere fourth-round pick. Moss turned back into his Minnesota Vikings form and set an NFL record for most touchdowns in a single season with 23.
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He achieved that in his first season in New England, and the record still holds almost 20 years later. He had over 3,900 yards and 50 touchdowns across his four seasons with the franchise.
Though Moss didn’t win a Super Bowl with the Patriots, he was a big reason why they won two AFC Championships (2007, 2011). Moss is one of the best receivers in NFL history, and New England got four years out of him for a day three draft pick.
Analysis: Home run acquisition.
Wes Welker
Somehow, two of the best wide receiver trades the Patriots have made in the last 25 years both came in 2007.
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The same year they brought in Moss, New England acquired another franchise cornerstone in Wes Welker from the Miami Dolphins. His fit with Moss was outstanding, and he quickly turned into one of the most prolific slot receivers in the NFL at that time.
Like Moss, Welker also didn’t win a Super Bowl with the Patriots. But he paved the way for other slot receivers to have success in New England’s system.
Analysis: Solid addition, even better as a complementary piece to Moss.
Brandin Cooks
The drop-off after Moss and Welker is fairly significant, but Cooks was still a meaningful addition to the tail end of the Brady era in New England.
Cooks’s 2017 season saw him rack up 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns, certainly a formidable stat line for him based on his numbers with New Orleans. The only trouble with Cooks is that he was only in town for that lone season, as the Patriots traded him to the Rams in 2018.
Cooks did eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in three of his next four seasons, so it’s possible Bill Belichick gave up on him too early. But either way, the Brandin Cooks trade didn’t live up to how good it might’ve been on paper.
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Analysis: Filled a need, but wasn’t around long enough to be a needle-mover.
Brandon Lloyd
Lloyd falls into a very similar boat as Cooks, although his one season in Foxborough is a little more disappointing given the circumstances.
Though Lloyd was in his 10th season when the Patriots acquired him in 2012, he was only one year removed from his best receiving season ever. Lloyd recorded 1,448 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010 with the Broncos; Josh McDaniels was his head coach during that career-defining year.
So, when Belichick acquired him in 2012 and paired him back up with McDaniels, he was surely hoping lightning would strike twice. And to his credit, Lloyd didn’t have a bad year. But 911 yards and four touchdowns wasn’t exactly outstanding either.
Lloyd wasn’t even playing football in 2013, and after one 294-yard season in 2014, he was out of the league for good. Safe to say Lloyd’s acquisition was largely forgettable.
Analysis: Remarkably underwhelming.
Josh Gordon
In general, Josh Gordon’s career is filled with what-ifs. But if he could have lasted with the Patriots, it’s easy to believe he would have thrived long-term with Tom Brady.
Gordon proved he still had plenty in the tank when New England acquired him in 2018. Unfortunately, his off-field issues followed him to Foxborough and cut his time with the team short.
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Still, Gordon was a true No. 1 receiver threat when he was available. He recorded over 700 yards in 11 games in 2018 before he was suspended again that December.
Technically, he’s the only receiver of these five to win a ring with the Patriots, though he wasn’t around for the playoff run itself.
Analysis: Didn’t work out, but could have been incredible.
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