Patriots Signal Willingness to Trade Key Players as NFL Deadline Approaches
The New England Patriots, currently with a 2-6 record, are rebuilding and might consider selling players before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline if the right deals are offered. If other teams offer draft picks for experienced players, the Patriots should seriously consider taking up those offers.
“They’re open for business and they’ll listen on anything,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said Sunday on NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Pregame Live, as seen in the video player above.
“I think the ones you want to look at are players who might be on second contracts and deeper into their careers where it’s a little hard to see those guys being major pieces of the puzzle two or three years down the line when the program is where they would hope it would be.” : Breer said.
What positions are teams aiming to strengthen for the second half of the regular season and playoffs?”I think the two markets that have really been hot to this point, as far as discussions behind the scenes between teams, are wide receiver and edge rusher,” Breer said.
”Those are two areas where the Patriots do have a surplus — I’m not saying they have great players at those positions — but they have numbers at those positions, so they could offload a guy and not become non-functional at those spot’‘ Breer Mentioned
The Patriots possess several young wide receivers, such as rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, as well as Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, and DeMario Douglas, who require playing time for growth. If another team presents a favorable offer for a veteran like Bourne and/or Osborn, it would be wise for the Patriots to consider making the move.
Uche was absent on Sunday as the Patriots defeated the New York Jets 25-22 in their Week 8 matchup at Gillette Stadium. Before the game, Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports stated that Uche is not hurt and mentioned that he “has been a key figure in discussions about potential trades across the NFL, with his contract being highly attractive to teams in contention.”
“So that’s where you see Josh Uche — where they already have Keion White and Deatrich Wise Jr. — be a name that could create some interest. Again, I think the edge rusher market will heat up. We’ve already seen a bunch of the wide receivers move — DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper. I expect you’ll see some action at wide receiver, too, over the next nine days. So does a Kendrick Bourne or K.J. Osborn move? I think those would be the two spots you’d want to focus in on.” : Said Breer.
Trading veterans, although not ideal, may further weaken an already struggling team, but the Patriots must consider the long-term implications. If they are able to increase their number of draft picks before the trade deadline, it would benefit the franchise.
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