It’s been a rough start to the season for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. With that, he’s been rumored in some trades, with the New England Patriots popping up as a potential new home for the former first-round pick.
Through two games, Harrison has just one catch this season. The reason for why that is has been widely debated among Cardinals fans, but the word “bust” is starting to get thrown around, while others suggest a change of scenery is in order.
New England could be that change of scenery. In particular, as the Patriots themselves are looking for a spark on the offensive side of the ball.
The New England Patriots Were Tied to Marvin Harrison Jr.
Those trade rumors around Marvin Harrison Jr. aren’t unsubstantiated. ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently reported that execs around the league are starting to wonder about his availability.
The Patriots make sense to be among the interested teams, particularly with the A.J. Brown injury. Zach McGlone of FanSided made the connection.
“Vrabel has a way of getting the best out of his players, and a weapon of MHJ’s caliber could be incredible in a new system and with a fresh start. With Brown out for quite a while, the Patriots need help in their passing attack, and what better way to approach that than getting a potential superstar for a bargain. MHJ is only 24 years old. He hasn’t even hit his prime yet, and with this Patriots coaching staff, he could completely turn his career around,” McGlone wrote.
“Not to mention, you would have a very young weapon developing with Drake Maye for the foreseeable future. And just imagine this offense when Brown is fully healthy again. A receiving core of A.J. Brown, Marvin Harrison Jr., Romeo Doubs, and DeMario Douglas is one that will have opposing defensive coordinators losing sleep.”
Whether or not the Patriots are willing to make the trade is a different story. The Cardinals probably want a steep price for Harrison, if they do move on. That’s particularly challenging, given the investment the Patriots already made in their receiving core this past offseason, including a first-round pick for Brown.
Injuries are Hitting the Patriots WR Room
A major concern now for the Patriots are the injuries that have hit the wide receiver room. In particular, the injury to A.J. Brown.
Brown went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. When he did go out, the offense didn’t look like it had a backup plan, and they failed to score again in the process of blowing a 10-0 lead.
He’s currently on IR, and the Patriots offense struggled in Week 2 as well, only scoring 13 offensive points. That’s 13 offensive points, no passing touchdowns, and four interceptions since Brown went out.
It’s becoming a major concern, and it’s a big part of why there are rumors about the Patriots and a player like Harrison. The spark has to come from somewhere, especially when Brown is down with his bad ankle.
Patriots Connected to Former Cardinals First-Round Pick Marvin Harrison in Trade