Walt- Total Trades: 3
- Average Grade: A- (91.3)
This page lists all the 2026 Trades for the New England Patriots. I’ve listed all of the NFL Free Agent Signing Grades here, which included the trades. Because I’ve begun posting polls for the trades, I thought it would make sense to list just the NFL trades here, so archiving the voting would be easier.
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June 2026 – Trades
Patriots acquire WR A.J. Brown from Eagles for 2028 1st-round pick, 2027 5th-round pick
We all knew the Patriots were going to trade for A.J. Brown because that’s what New England’s top reporter told us before she was fired. We also knew the deal would occur on June 1 because of salary cap restrictions. What we didn’t know were the exact terms, especially after it was reported that the Patriots weren’t going to relinquish a 2027 first-round pick. As it turns out, Philadelphia will be getting a 2028 first-round selection, as well as a fifth-round choice in 2027 to make up the difference.
This is a great trade for the Patriots, especially because they didn’t have to give up a precious first-round pick in the loaded 2027 draft class. They eventually have to relinquish an opening-round selection, but Brown is worth it. He’s an elite receiver who will provide Drake Maye with the No. 1 target he’s lacked thus far in his career. Brown has never caught balls from a great passer, so Maye should be able to get the most out of Brown, especially given the improved pass protection the Patriots are expected to have this year.
As for the Eagles, Brown had worn out his welcome with the team. He and Jalen Hurts were at odds, and the Eagles will certainly function better with a happier locker room. The Eagles also added countless receivers this offseason, including first-round pick Makai Lemon, so they’ve already been preparing themselves for life without their No. 1 receiver. It’s disappointing that Philadelphia wasn’t able to obtain a first-round pick in the loaded 2027 class – go here for my 2027 NFL Mock Draft – so they will be punished for that as far as their trade grade is concerned.
Grade for Patriots – A
Grade for Eagles – B-
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April 2026 – Trades
Texans acquire LB Marte Mapu from Patriots for late-round pick swap
Marte Mapu was a backup linebacker who played special teams for New England. Reports indicate that the Patriots were going to cut him, but the Texans called at the 11th hour and requested him for a late-round pick swap. The Texans surrendered a sixth-round selection this year, and they’ll be getting back a seventh-round choice in 2027.
Giving up a sixth-round pick for a seventh the following year isn’t a huge deal. However, this still seems like a waste of resources because Mapu was going to be released, so the Texans could have gotten him without losing any resources. I’m not sure why the Texans did this, but the Patriots won the trade.
Grade for Texans – C
Grade for Patriots – A-
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
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March 2026 – Trades
Bears acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 5th-round pick
It’s pretty wild that the Bears are trading for Garrett Bradbury. They’ve had a chance to look at him twice per year when he was playing on the Vikings, so I don’t know how they determined that he’s worth a fifth-round pick, especially when the upcoming draft class has so many talented tackles.
This is a panic move by the Bears. Their center retired, so they thought they’d sign Tyler Biadasz as a replacement. With Biadasz going to the Chargers, Chicago could have just waited for a rookie center, but instead wasted a fifth-round selection on the anemic Bradbury, who was partly responsible for Drake Maye’s 22 playoff sacks.
This is an easy win for the Patriots. They were going to obtain an upgrade over Bradbury anyway, so they were able to obtain a free source by dumping their failed center.
Grade for Bears – D
Grade for Patriots – A
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can view theAd-Free Version of WalterFootball.com here!
Charlie Campbell