How do Patriots approach NFL trade deadline? (Podcast)

The Patriots are 1-5 going into their Week 7 matchup against the Buffalo Bills with little to no optimism that their season will get better. Despite not even being halfway through the 2023 campaign, some are already looking ahead to 2024.

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching and it will be interesting to see if New England makes some moves to acquire draft capital. While a little ways off, free agency should be on the Patriots’ radar as they have some decisions to make regarding players currently on their roster.

On the latest episode of “Eye On Foxborough,” MassLive Patriots reporters Chris Mason and Mark Daniels discuss how the Patriots should approach the Oct. 31 trade deadline as well as free agency.

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“Bill (Belichick) might be on to Buffalo, but he should be on to the offseason if he’s even here. The Patriots have a laundry list of talented upcoming free agents on their own team. And the truth is I don’t think they’re going to bring back all of them because they never bring back all of them,” Daniels said. “But the Patriots also need more young talent. How do you get more young talent? You draft them, right? The Patriots, right now, do not have an extra draft pick until I want to say the sixth or seventh round. And it gets a little murky because they’ve made a bunch of trades with sixth and seventh round picks. … They have their own first, second, third, fourth and fifth rounder, but that is not going to cut it.

“I want to see him cut bait, stick that for sale sign in their front yard. … Listen, the Patriots need to acquire more future assets because the only way out of this hole that they’ve dug is through the draft plus free agency, (and) acquire more draft picks,” he added.

Mason agreed, saying, “you just really want to be able to move around the draft board too. And I don’t think there’s ever been a team that’s like, you know what, we have too many draft picks this year. I wish we didn’t have as many picks.”

However he thinks the most valuable trade chip on the Patrtiots’ roster is Kyle Dugger, but doesn’t necessarily think New England should go that route.

“But I think we’re both in the same camp — I would not trade that guy,” Mason said. “I think he’s somebody that you build around. I think he’s a really good player and I think he’s someone you could re-sign. I don’t see value in trading him.”

Daniels pointed to the role Dugger plays in terms of taking over for Devin McCourty calling the defensive plays after the cornerback retired prior to the 2023 season.

“The last thing this team needs is to lose their defensive play caller in the secondary two years in a row,” Daniels said. “They should want to 100% keep Kyle Dugger.”