DK Metcalf has so many qualities that the New England Patriots need. He’s a top-end receiver with size and speed to rip the top off defenses on the way to routine, 1,000-yard seasons. He also plays for the Seattle Seahawks, who appear to be in a firesale mode after trading quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. So if the Seahawks are selling a stud receiver, then the Patriots might just be interested in buying.
They have, after all, whiffed on receiver Nelson Agholor, who underwhelmed in his first year with the Patriots (37 catches, 473 yards, 3 TDs) after signing with New England in free agency in 2021. He isn’t the boundary receiver the Patriots need to work with Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers. Metcalf could absolutely be that guy.
But here’s the problem. Metcalf is playing on a contract that expires at the end of the upcoming season. When that deal expires, he will want to get paid big money, likely somewhere around (and probably above) $20 million per year. New England won’t want to pay the guy.
Would the #Patriots seriously consider trading for Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf?@PhilAPerry explains why he "wouldn't bet on it" based on what he's hearing about the asking price…@tomecurran @trenni pic.twitter.com/hEyYEjB9z1
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) March 30, 2022
If the Patriots don’t anticipate giving Metcalf a long-term extension in 2023 — not even with the idea that he’d be their WR1 — then they won’t be willing to give up the necessary draft compensation to acquire him.
The Seahawks would likely want a premium draft pick, maybe a first- or second-rounder. Those picks may not produce players of Metcalf’s caliber very often, but if they do, they will be on a cheap deal for four or five years. That jives with what owner Robert Kraft suggested will be New England’s avenue for building their roster: stocking up on young talent on rookie contracts.
If Seattle wanted a mid-round pick, then maybe New England would step up to the table. A third- or fourth-rounder is even less likely to produce a term starter — and that asking price might intrigue the Patriots enough for what is potentially just a one-year rental of Metcalf.
Ultimately, if the Patriots paid a fourth-rounder for Metcalf and enjoyed success with him, they might just feel comfortable paying him big money to stick around. That’s better than hitting the open market in 2023 where they’d have no assurances that players like A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel and Diontae Johnson (or even Metcalf) will fit into the system. There’s something to be said for getting the player on the roster in order to decide whether to give him a long-term deal.
