Even with last week's shocking victory over the Buffalo Bills, fans of the New England Patriots are running out of reasons to tune into their team's games.
Exhilarating as Sunday's win may have been, New England still has a lot of ground to make up when it comes to reinserting itself into the AFC playoff picture. That's led some to believe that the Patriots (2-5) could start selling off veteran assets in the name of prepping for the next draft or two. The 2023 NFL trade deadline lands next week on Oct. 31.
If New England opts to go that route, NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insider Albert Breer says that one name in particular is looking particularly attractive to the block.
“I think the one guy that has come up the most as a potential guy that could get moved is Josh Uche," Breer said during an appearance on WBZ-FM's "Zolak and Bertrand." "I think part of the reason was, A, he isn’t producing the way that he was last year. B, he’s a little bit of a weird fit for the defense because there are those types of players that’ll be three-down players in some defenses, but in the Patriots defense, that kind of guy isn’t."
ESPN echoed those sentiments, with NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler saying Saturday that Uche has "garnered interest."
Uche is in the midst of his fourth season since the Patriots drafted him in 2020's second round. The Michigan alum is in the final season of his four-year entry contract and will hit free agency for the first time next spring.
Last season, Uche was part of a New England pass rush that served as the team's most consistent silver lining, unexpectedly breaking out to the tune of 11.5 sacks. But, as Breer implies, things haven't been as smooth this time around: Uche has just six tackles and two sacks in six appearances this year and has had to share snaps with fellow 2020 draft pick Anfernee Jennings, even with fellow pass rusher Matthew Judon out.
Further reports state that there has been little, if any, progress in terms of getting Uche a long-term deal, lending only further credence to the idea that he could be due for a transfer.
Breer says that New England will entertain the idea of trading anyone "within reason" (i.e. anyone who's not Christian Gonzalez). Uche, however, stands as one of their most attractive active assets.
"He’s a really good player, but in the Patriots' defense, he’s a little bit of a one-trick pony, where you have to use him a certain way," Breer declared. "But he could be really useful to another team. He’s valuable, and he has a premium skill, which is as a pass-rusher."
For the time being, Uche remains clad in Patriots colors and will potentially return to action on Sunday when New England faces Miami in South Beach (1 p.m. ET, CBS). As it stands, he is listed as questionable on the injury report due to an ankle/toe ailment.
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