Before the Jacksonville Jaguars shut down all trade speculation involving Brian Thomas Jr. in the offseason, several teams were seen as potential suitors. One that kind of flew under the radar was the New England Patriots because there weren't any direct reports linking them to the 2024 first-round pick. Having said that, they were a logical fit.
At the time, the Pats because they were in need of help at wide receiver. However, they stopped being a potential destination when they acquired A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Fast forward to Week 3 of the regular season, and Brown is on the Injured Reserve list after suffering a high ankle sprain. Suddenly, the New England wide receiver corps has a glaring void, and the Patriots could turn to Thomas to fill it. Their Week 3 matchup against the Jags would present the perfect opportunity to scout him.
The Patriots will watch Brian Thomas Jr. firsthand when they play the Jaguars
Two weeks into the regular season, Brian Thomas Jr. has caught six passes on 12 targets for 80 yards. His catch rate of 50.0 percent most definitely leaves much to be desired. Couple that with the fact that the former LSU Tiger has dealt with drops, and there's a chance Jacksonville could trade him if he cannot put it all together.
Trading Thomas to the NFC would make the most sense since the odds of having to face him would be low compared to those if he stayed in the AFC. Having said that, the Patriots could ultimately be a realistic trade partner.
For starters, the Jags would trade Thomas if they don't think he can bounce back. On top of that, they would have played the Patriots if they sent him to New England. That means that Jacksonville would only play Thomas if these two teams met in the playoffs.
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The Jaguars may decide to trade Brian Thomas Jr. if his struggles continue
The truth is that Brian Thomas Jr.'s stock is at an all-time low. Maybe if the Jags had traded him in the offseason, he might have fetched a second or even a conditional first. That probably won't be the case since he's failed to hit his stride in spite of his strong offseason.
Sure, there's a chance that the Walker, Louisiana native will bounce back, but his drops in Week 2 weren't an outlier. He's simply been unable to shake off the issue dating back to last year. Similarly, his unwillingness to reel in catches when his about to get hit raises doubts about whether he can become a mainstay of the Jacksonville offense.
If the Jaguars come to the conclusion that Thomas simply is not a fit and can get a fourth, maybe a conditional third, the best course of action may be to simply move on. Of course, the third-year receiver could always flourish with another team, but if he's thus far shown that he can't be a dependable contributor in Duval, trading to ensure rookies CJ Williams and Josh Cameron get more opportunities may be the best course of action.
Ideally, Brian Thomas Jr. would be a key contributor for the Jaguars right now, one who makes their offense stoppable. But if he continues to struggle, the organization should consider placing him on the trade block. He will have no shortage of suitors, and the Patriots could become interested when they play Jacksonville in Week 3.
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