Insider suggests no Patriot is off limits as trade deadline nears
Although the New England Patriots pulled off a 29-25 upset of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, the team sits at 2-5 and has a 4% chance of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times simulator.
For arguably the first time since Bill Belichick’s first season as head coach in 2000, the Patriots are inclined to sell at the Oct. 31 trade deadline, and according to league insider Albert Breer, the team appears willing to deal anyone on its roster for the right price.
“My understanding is they're really open to anything,” Breer said, via NBC Sports Boston. “They're going to listen on anyone. … Additionally, my understanding is they're going to be looking for third- and fourth-round picks. They just need players on the roster now. So, the personnel department has been at work at that sort of thing over the last couple of weeks. And again, I think they're open to moving almost anyone on the roster at this point in an effort to build up draft capital so they can rebuild the guts to the roster in 2024."
Breer pointed out 27-year-old safety Kyle Dugger, 25-year-old pass-rusher Josh Uche and 25-year-old guard Mike Onwenu as three players the Patriots would presumably like to move given their age and the fact that none of them have “come close” to signing contract extensions with New England.
As Breer noted, the Pats may be motivated to trade Uche, Dugger and Onwenu instead of letting them play out the final 11 games of the season and lose them during the offseason for nothing.
Uche leads the team in pressures and hurries, and ranks second in sacks, while Dugger is New England’s leading tackler and Onwenu is the only Patriots offensive lineman to play 150 or more snaps and not allow a sack.
Receiver Kendrick Bourne, who leads the team in receptions (28), targets (44), yards (307) and touchdowns (two), and defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who has 14 tackles, a team-high three passes defensed, two tackles for loss and one sack, are two other Patriots players who have been mentioned in trade rumors, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
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