Getty Hunter Renfrow, Raiders receiver
In the long litany of trade suggestions made for the benefit of the New England Patriots this season, one name has been raised more than any other: Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow. Maybe it is because he is the kind of surehanded, undersized slot receiver who thrived for so long under Bill Belichick—Troy Brown, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola—or maybe it is because his career has tracked so well with that of quarterback Mac Jones.
The two were on the same AFC Pro Bowl team in 2021, and have seen their career bottom out quickly in the two short years since.
After a step backward last year, Jones has thrown for just 1,008 yards in five games, with six interceptions and five touchdowns this year. Renfrow, similarly, took a step backward last year and has, this year, totaled a mere six catches for 59 yards in five games.
ESPN writer Brian Barnwell, in putting together a list of 15 potential trades ahead of the October 31 deadline, said that hooking up Renfrow and Jones would be good for both. The Raiders-Pats trade he suggests goes:
Raiders receive WR Kendrick Bourne
Patriots receive WR Hunter Renfrow, 2025 7th-round draft pick
‘Fresh Starts’ for Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Renfrow
Here’s how Barnwell fleshes out the rationale for the deal, which, he says, would have appeared unthinkable back when coach Josh McDaniels first got the Raiders job and the team gave Renfrow a $32 million extension that firmed up his status as a key cog on the team. Wrote Barnwell:
“It hasn’t worked out that way. Renfrow struggled through injuries in a lost 2022 season, and after the Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers in March, they’ve buried Renfrow on the depth chart. The 27-year-old has six catches through five games, and he lost his duties as the punt returner to DeAndre Carter. His career has stalled out, and Las Vegas seems sure to cut him and free up $8.2 million in cap space after the season.
“Renfrow appeared like the sort of player the Patriots could target when he entered the league, and after years of whiffing on wide receiver additions, they desperately need someone who can beat man coverage and give quarterback Mac Jones a reliable safety valve. Meyers was that player for the Pats in years past. Bourne, who had a solid season under McDaniels in 2021, would get his own fresh start after losing his role in 2022 and struggling to make a consistent impact this season.”
Trade Has Benefits for Both Sides
Now, this is not a deal that is going to have a tremendous impact in the win/loss column for either team, but it does have some sneaky appeal. There is no doubt that Renfrow has more to offer than what the Raiders are getting from him, and that New England’s plans to rely on tight ends for underneath production have not been all that successful. Renfrow could help Jones get back on his feet.
Bourne is still a productive receiver, one who leads New England with 18 catches and 218 yards. The Raiders badly need a No. 3 receiving option, because Renfrow, Carter and rookie Tre Tucker (a trio with eight total catches in five games) do not appear to be the answer behind Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams. Bourne would be a big upgrade.
For the Patriots, Bourne is 28 and this team will be more interested in seeing what they can get from rookies Pop Douglas and Kayshon Boutte down the stretch, not to mention injured former second-round pick Tyquan Thornton, who will soon make his season debut.
And the future pick helps soothe the Patriots’ slight financial hit, Barnwell writes.
“The Patriots aren’t in a position to be adding players solely for the purpose of winning in 2023, but this would be a trade about keeping Jones’ head above water during the second half of the campaign and seeing if they can get more out of Renfrow than the Raiders have,” he noted. “In all, the Patriots would take on about $1.3 million in additional costs by swapping out Bourne for Renfrow, which is why they get the extra seventh-round pick.”