What NFL insiders are saying about the Patriots’ plans at trade deadline

Patriots

“It does appear the Patriots are laying the groundwork to do … something.”

The NFL deadline is set for Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.

And even after the Patriots’ upset win over the Bills on Sunday, New England still stands on unsteady ground when it comes to charting a path forward in 2023.

The Patriots still sit at the bottom of the AFC East with a 2-5 record and will have the odds stacked against them in Week 8 as they head to Miami to take on the Dolphins.

So will the Patriots opt to sell off pieces on Tuesday as they look to the future, or could they even look to add to their roster?

Speaking on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on Thursday, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said that New England will leave no stone unturned as Bill Belichick and his staff ponder their next move. 

“So, my understanding is they’re listening on everybody,” Breer said. “I think the one guy that’s come up the most as a potential guy that could get moved is Josh Uche. … He’s valuable, and he has a premium skill, which is as a pass-rusher. So, they’re gonna listen on, my understanding is, just about everybody. Now, that’s within reason. Like, they’re not gonna trade Christian Gonzalez off IR. But they’re gonna listen.

“And the more people I talked to last week, the more I got the idea that they’re gonna be fishing around for, like, third- and fourth-round picks a little bit. So, if they can add one of those or two of those for a player that maybe isn’t playing a lot, or they’re not gonna re-sign, I think that would be the sort of idea that they’d be looking at.”

Jeff Howe of The Athletic offered up a similar sentiment to Breer, noting that the Patriots have not offered up any clues about how they plan to augment their roster in the coming days. 

“The 2-5 New England Patriots are a wild card,” Howe wrote. “Based on their activity with other teams, opposing executives can’t figure out if they’re tilting more in the direction of buyers or sellers. But it does appear the Patriots are laying the groundwork to do … something.”

Ultimately, the Patriots’ decision to buy, sell, or stand pat might come down to how the team fares down in Miami on Sunday afternoon.