The NFL trade deadline is right around the corner. Nine days away to be exact.
The Patriots have already floated at least one name to would-be trade partners. According to a league source, linebacker Joshua Uche has been dangled by the Patriots with hopes of landing a fifth-rounder in exchange.
Sitting at 1-6, with the New York Jets on tap, the Patriots’ path is obvious. They should be making deals to stockpile draft picks.
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Buying isn’t an option. The Patriots, losers of six straight, should be sellers all the way. And it looks like that’s where they’re headed.
From the start of the new regime with VP of player personnel Eliot Wolf and coach Jerod Mayo, they’ve preached drafting and developing. That’s their model and approach for getting the Patriots back to contender status.
That’s also their primary avenue to building around quarterback Drake Maye, who has shown promise in his two starts to date. With an excess of cap space, free agency will also play a role in bolstering the lineup next season and beyond. But it’s still going to be an uphill struggle.
Until the Patriots return to being a destination top free agents want to come, the draft is going to be their meal ticket. Because right now, playing for the Patriots has little to no appeal for high-end free agents.
So with the Nov. 5th, 4 p.m. trade deadline fast approaching, the Patriots will be trying to collect more draft assets. That will help give them some flexibility to maneuver around the board for desired picks.
Although, one NFL executive told MassLive he wasn’t sure the Patriots had “much to move” to gain a decent return.
The cupboard isn’t packed with desirable commodities, but there are still a few players the Patriots should try to move. Uche falls into that category.
Contending teams can always use pass rush help. That’s the appeal of Uche, who had a breakout year in 2022 with 11 1/2 sacks, but hasn’t done much since. He had three sacks in 15 games played last season. In seven games this year, he’s notched two sacks.
The feeling in NFL circles is the best Uche will net is a sixth-rounder in return. With top edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson done for the year, the Detroit Lions might be a potential suitor for the 26-year-old.
Beyond Uche, who signed a one-year prove-it deal to return to Foxborough during the offseason, what other players should the Patriots try to move?
They have three obvious choices at receiver: Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton fall into that category.
Several teams have recently lost top receivers. The San Francisco 49ers won’t have Brandon Aiyuk the rest of the season thanks to tearing both his ACL and MCL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lost Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle) for the season.
Bourne, a former 49er, would seem to be a natural for GM John Lynch to pursue, given he’s familiar with Kyle Shanahan’s system.
The veteran wideout, however, told MassLive Friday his hope was to remain in New England.
“I’m going let it flow, but this is where I want to be,” Bourne said. “I love it here. I want to help this place grow. But it’s (in the Patriots) control. I have no control over that. I just have to stay focused on what’s in front of me and think about it that way.”
That means being a dependable receiver for Maye, and helping the Patriots crawl out of the gutter if he’s not dealt.
Bourne said he was grateful for what the organization has already given him.
“They’ve helped me get to a point in my career where I’ve improved in life, and as a player,” Bourne said. “Maybe the stats don’t show it and things like that. But I’ve grown as a person. There’s things I love about what the organization stands for. That’s where my heart is. It’s to help this place get to where I know it can be. I can see the vision. Plus, I love challenges. That’s how I think about it. It’s a challenge to grow here, and that’s where my heart is.”
Osborn, meanwhile, told reporters he felt the Patriots were going with a youth movement, prioritizing time for young players. With second-year receivers Pop Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk getting most of the work, that’s kept Osborn off the field recently. So he probably wouldn’t mind being dealt.
“It’s extremely difficult. It’s frustrating,” Osborn said Wednesday. “A lot of stuff is not in my control. No matter the performance or anything like that. The organization is going to do what’s best for them. And for us. So that’s something I can’t control. I can control what I can do: My attitude, my effort, coaching the young guys while they’re out there, helping them from my experience.”
As for Thornton, the 2022 second-round pick with blazing speed, has been a bust. Some team might take a flier on him, hoping to utilize his 4.2 speed. There’s just not much to show for it.
On Friday, Mayo announced that Thornton would be playing Sunday against the Jets. Either the Patriots are giving him yet another chance, or, they’re trying to pump up his value.
Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones, like Uche, might be another who garners some interest with a contending team given he plays what’s considered a premium position. While he’s not in his prime at age 31, his ability to mark No. 2 or No. 3 receivers makes him one of the Patriots’ top trade candidates. He might also have appeal given his versatility to play out on the boundary, or inside in the slot.
This season, he has 27 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble.
In a room where the Patriots have lost many of their captains and leaders to injury (Ja’Whaun Bentley, David Andrews) or incidents outside of football (Jabrill Peppers), the highly-respected Jones would be tough to part with.
He’s one of the few remaining players from the second-decade of Super Bowl wins, as Jones was part of the 2016 and 2018 championship teams.
He’s in the final year of his deal, and is currently battling a shoulder injury. He knows how the trade deadline works. And, he has a pretty good idea where the organization is headed with its youth movement.
Next season and beyond is the goal. Putting a more competitive team around Maye and giving him a better chance to succeed is the end game from here on out. If an opposing team is willing to overpay, or give decent value in return, trading off parts is the way to go.
The Patriots really don’t have much choice.
