The New England Patriots are still in the process of figuring out their future wide receiver hierarchy, but one former high draft pick will no longer be in the mix.
Ja'Lynn Polk was New England's second-round pick last year, selected 37th overall in a deep draft of receivers. He didn't show the promise the team would have liked in year one, and a shoulder injury suffered in the team's preseason opener ended his second year in the league before it got off the ground.
Evidently, the Patriots decided they had enough talent to move forward without Polk, and another team believes it can get the most out of the 23-year-old.
On Saturday, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Patriots traded Polk, along with a 2028 seventh-round pick, to the New Orleans Saints. In return, New England will receive New Orleans' 2027 sixth-round pick.
Polk totaled 12 catches last season for 87 yards and two touchdowns. He appeared in 15 of New England's 17 games, but commanded just 33 targets.
The Patriots were quick to give up on Polk, as turning a former second-round pick into little more than a late-round pick swap in the span of 19 months is hardly a positive value proposition.
Plus, the Patriots took Polk three picks after their originally scheduled second-rounder, which they traded to the Los Angeles Chargers. L.A. took Ladd McConkey in that spot, and the 23-year-old already has 1,223 receiving yards in 17 NFL games.
Polk will get a fresh start in New Orleans next season, but for the Patriots, it's a tough exercise in admitting defeat.
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