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The Patriots must really, really like Brandin Cooks. The Saints have made it known that the wide receiver, taken with a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, is on the trading block. And after reportedly being initially rebuffed by the Saints in a deal involving a draft pick, the Patriots are trying to acquire the wideout by sending Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcom Butler to the bayou.

That’s according to a report from Dianna Russini of ESPN, who dropped a bombshell on Twitter on Thursday morning ahead of free agency (which begins at 4 p.m. ET with the start of the new league year, follow all of the latest updates in our NFL free agency live blog).

Butler was the guy who saved Super Bowl XLIX for the Patriots, coming out of nowhere (both on the field and in life) to steal a Russell Wilson pass away from Ricardo Lockette on a goal-line play to steal the victory for New England.

He’s a folk hero for the Patriots, revered among the fan base, but he’s also looking for a new contract and is expected to ask for a pile of cash.

Bill Belichick is unafraid to ship big names out of town (see: Chandler Jones before last season and Jamie Collins during last year’s Super Bowl run) and has a price he puts on each player. If the demands of a player exceed that price, Belichick will make a move.

The Patriots are also letting Dont’a Hightower, another player with famous Super Bowl moments, test free agency this offseason.

Cooks would add some major juice to the Patriots offense, as he’s a dangerous deep threat and a speedster who can take short-yardage passes and break them for huge gains. He would be lethal in New England’s offense. 

The Patriots also reportedly agreed to terms with former Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, which would help supplant Butler if he was shipped out of town. The logic was that Gilmore and Butler combined would make a really difficult tandem to beat (Logan Ryan is also leaving in free agency) but maybe Gilmore is a replacement for Butler if/when he’s shipped out of town.

Each year we end up seeing some blockbuster trade moves right at the beginning of free agency. And the Saints and Patriots could be involved in a whopper if this actually goes down.