Patriots one of several teams mentioned in general chatter around Cooper Kupp trade

The New England Patriots are considered a logical choice for a team that should look into trading for Rams star wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler did some digging around the Super Bowl about Kupp's trade prospects this week, and came away with a handful of teams that he deemed worthy of a blurb. The Patriots got one, and for the very basic and obvious reason that they are simply starved for high-end talent at wide receiver.

"As one AFC exec said, the Patriots would be "foolish" not to entertain a deal, given their receiver situation," Fowler wrote.

Of course, this exec could've come from any of the 16 AFC teams, and had no connection whatsoever to the Patriots, Rams, or Kupp. But it's true. The Patriots should at least make a call to the Rams about the idea of bringing Kupp to New England.

For as obvious as the Patriots would be as a suitor for a top-flight wide receiver, it's just as obvious why they may ultimately come up short for Kupp, even if they tried: of the five teams mentioned by ESPN, they're by far the least likely to contend for the Super Bowl in 2025.

Fowler also mentioned the Chiefs, Commanders, Lions, and Steelers as potential trade partners for the Rams. Kupp himself said shortly after news broke of the Rams' intention to trade him that the team is "working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships," so it doesn't sound likely that he'd be shipped off to lowly New England.

On the other hand, wide receivers tend to think pretty highly of themselves. Kupp may believe that he himself could transform the Patriots back into contenders, working with quarterback Drake Maye. There's no doubt that Kupp would be easily the Patriots' No. 1 receiver and a true difference-maker, even at age 31. Health and the threat of rapid decline are the question marks.

But unless Kupp likes the idea of playing with Maye over, say, Patrick Mahomes or Jayden Daniels, it's hard to believe he'd be happy with a trade to the Patriots over the other teams that are rumored.

Whoever this AFC exec is, though, they nailed it. The Patriots at least need to make that call. It would be negligent, otherwise.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.