Sitting at 1-6 entering the Week 8 NFL schedule, the New England Patriots are right where many expected after moving on from Bill Belichick, hiring Jerod Mayo, and then spending nothing on roster upgrades. This is and was always going to be a rebuilding year.
But now that we’re actually here, with just over two weeks to go before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline arrives, it’s time to re-evaluate the future for some players in New England. This upcoming offseason is likely to bring a lot more roster turnover, but the Patriots may be getting a head start on those plans over the next two weeks.
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New England Patriots place Josh Uche and others on trade block
On Sunday, as the New England Patriots were preparing to host the New York Jets, their weekly inactive list included an interesting name: Josh Uche. The 60th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft is not hurt. In other words, the Patriots made the 26-year-old a healthy scratch, in anticipation of an upcoming trade. New England wanted to ensure their pass rusher wouldn’t get hurt, effectively impacting their trade negotiations.
But as others such as The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and SI’s Albert Breer have reported, the Patriots are very open to trading Uche. In the final year of his contract, it’s now or never for the Patriots to get any sort of trade compensation in return for the player who recorded 11.5 sacks in 2022.
“They’re open for business, and they’ll listen on anything. The ones you want to look at are players who might be on second contracts, deeper into their careers, where it’s a little hard to see those players become major pieces of the puzzle. I think the two markets that have really been hot are receiver and edge rusher, and those are two areas where the Patriots have a surplus. So that’s where you see a Josh Uche be a name that could create some heat.”
Albert Breer on New England Patriots trade talks
Report: Patriots will listen to 'any proposal' at trade deadline @AlbertBreer shares what he's hearing about the Patriots as the trade deadline approaches 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/pDekEQJufl
— Patriots Coverage on NBCS Boston (@NBCSPatriots) October 27, 2024
Still just 26, even though Uche only has two sacks this season, he’s already shown the ability to play at a very high level with his double-digit sack year in 2022. Expect there to be a number of teams who feel they can get Uche back to those same production levels with a change of scenery.
Other players that could be on the move from New England include Jonathan Jones, Jacoby Brissett, K.J. Osborn, and Austin Hooper. That’s a lot of names, and if the Patriots can turn some of them into draft picks, they’ll be better off in the long run.
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