The Patriots need to surround Drake Maye with offensive weapons.

No one is arguing that in New England; where to get the talent is a whole different story.

Tee Higgins would certainly fill the void for the receiver-needy Patriots. However, it’s more than likely the Cincinnati Bengals are planning to place the franchise tag on Higgins if they can’t agree on a long-term contract before March 4. New England may have to settle for past their prime receivers for the time being.

San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel could fit in with the Patriots next season since the 2021 Pro Bowler requested a trade from the NFC West contender.

While the 49ers are on “good terms” with Samuel, general manager John Lynch said the club will honor his trade request, per Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons.

“You know, still not interested,” Lynch said when asked about Samuel, per Simmons. “But along those lines of the financial constraints, and some conversations we’ve had with Deebo — it’s something that we’ve been forthright with that. We’re on good terms with Deebo. He’s asked for a fresh start, and I think we’re going to honor that.”

The 49ers may be on board; however, Lynch doesn’t seem overly enthusiastic about letting Samuel go.

“Don’t like seeing great players — and he is a great player, I think often one of my favorite draft picks in my time. He makes plays. He makes game-changing plays. Everything’s good. But at some point, time happens and he asked for that, we don’t always — there’s contracts and things. But it probably makes sense, so we’re at least allowing him to look. And we’re having conversations, we’ll see how it goes.”

Lynch added: “There’s a lot of love there. There’s a lot of respect there. There’s a lot of shared experiences. So, to let that go, that’s difficult. But like I said, time happens, and if it makes sense for both sides, you at least give it a chance. And so that’s where (we’re) at.”

Samuel is playing on a short-term deal with one year and $17.5 million left on his three-year extension, and he is a playmaker unlike anyone New England currently has.