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The Patriots came up short in their pursuit of a fourth Super Bowl win under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and did so in large part because they lacked sufficient offensive weapons. It didn't have to end that way: and perhaps they could've acquired Larry Fitzgerald during the 2013 season.
No, really. Tom Curran of CSN New England reports that last year the Pats were "interested in dealing for" Fitzgerald during the 2013 season.
Curran, who's well connected with the Patriots, cites a source he believes "without reservation" when it comes to the Fitzgerald report.
It's not that far-fetched, really. Fitz has a massive contract with the Cardinals so he'd be tough to move. But Arizona did some serious rebooting last year and if they moved Fitz they'd have a lot more maneuverability when it comes to personnel.
Of course, the Cardinals probably didn't bank on winning 11 games in Bruce Arians first year and making a serious run at the playoffs (they came up just short). That ended up happening and it's probably why Fitz -- along with differences in what the Pats and Cardinals wanted in any hypothetical deal -- ended up sticking in Arizona.
That sort of blockbuster trade isn't the type of thing that happens in the NFL, but it's certainly a fun "what if" type of scenario, especially since the Pats came up short of a Lombardi again.
