The New England Patriots are in a position that few teams want to be: in the middle. The Patriots aren't bad enough to get top draft picks, but aren't good enough to compete for championships. As long as Bill Belichick is the head coach, though, they'll try to win as much as possible. So, it makes sense to improve the roster the best they can this offseason.

To New England's credit, they have made some good signings early on in free agency. By signing players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mike Gesicki, Riley Reiff and James Robinson, plus retaining Jonathan Jones and Jabrill Peppers, the Patriots have clearly improved this offseason. They did lose Jakobi Myers to the Las Vegas Raiders, but overall, their additions far outweigh the losses.

But is this enough to compete in the loaded AFC? Remember that New England shares a division with a Super Bowl contender in the Buffalo Bills, another playoff team in the Miami Dolphins and a young team on the rise that's about to add Aaron Rodgers in the Jets. The rest of the conference is also filled with great teams, so the Patriots will likely need more to compete.

Well, there is still time in the offseason to bolster the roster even further. Obviously there's the draft, but beyond that, there is also the trade market to consider. In fact, one popular trade target would be a perfect acquisition for the Patriots this offseason.

New England Patriots get: WR DeAndre Hopkins

Arizona Cardinals get: 2023 second-round pick

For years, even at the end of the Tom Brady era, New England has been lacking at wide receiver. In fact, the last Patriots wideout to break 1,000 yards was Julian Edelman back in 2019. Ever since, New England has lacked a true top wideout.

Granted, they have made efforts to alleviate the issue. Myers developed into a solid receiver and Smith-Schuster should be a good addition, but both of those players are better off as second wide receivers instead of being the main guy. Even with these efforts, the Patriots still need a true star wideout, especially as Mac Jones is still developing.

New England has reportedly been in on many wide receivers this offseason, even after signing Smith-Schuster. Of those receivers, the one that stands out the most is Arizona Cardinals standout DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins needs no introduction whatsoever, as he has only been one of the best receivers in the NFL in recent memory. Over 10 years in the NFL, Hopkins has five Pro Bowls and three First-Team All-Pros under his belt.

The 2022 season wasn't a great one for Hopkins, as suspension and injury limited him to just nine games. That said, he still managed to rack up 717 yards and three touchdowns in that short time. Despite the setbacks and him turning 31 in June, Hopkins can still play at a very high level.

With the Cardinals heading into a rebuilding period, Hopkins has been in many trade talks this offseason. The Patriots, who just so happen to need a receiver, have reportedly been among the teams in on him. If they are able to land him, which shouldn't cost that much, he could become their first star wideout in years.

That said, there are a few potential snags with this deal. Even though the Patriots have a good amount of cap space, Hopkins' contract is a lot to take on and could force them to shed salary elsewhere. There's also the matter of Hopkins' relationship with Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien, as the two had a bitter fallout after Hopkins' exit from the Houston Texans.

If they're able to work through those issues, though, then this would be an excellent move for New England. The Patriots finally have a chance to get a top wideout, and they should take advantage of it.