The Patriots sit at 3-4 through seven weeks, and with the trade deadline looming, the age old question is starting to be asked:
“Buy or sell?”
Well let’s assume, in theory, that New England loses to the 5-2 Jets on Sunday – something that is entirely possible after what we saw against the Bears on Monday night. The Patriots would then fall to 3-5, and they might be just about finished in a crowded middling AFC playoff race.
If this is the case, it may be time to sell. Here are five potential players that New England could trade:
Kendrick Bourne
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Patriots have received calls about trading WR Kendrick Bourne. “Bourne would welcome a change in uniform due to declining opportunities,” said Fowler, which makes me think that he wants out.
After suffering a turf toe injury in Cleveland, Bourne didn’t play last week against the Bears – but when healthy he is a talented WR2 whose speed an elusiveness could be valuable to plenty of NFL offenses.
Nelson Agholor
Agholor is another guy who has been mentioned in trade talks this season. After signing a two-year, $26 million contract with the Patriots in March 2021, he has struggled to catch fire in this lackluster New England offense, hauling in just 51 catches in two seasons.
However, his expiring contract holds little to no value on the market. It may be best to keep him due to the lack of depth in the Pats wide receiver room.
Isaiah Wynn
Also dealing with an injury, Isaiah Wynn has not played great football this season. A former first round pick, Wynn has a league-high seven penalties this year and has shot his offense in the foot more than he’s helped them in 2022.
Tackle depth across the league is really bad. This makes Wynn a solid trade piece for New England, and Marcus Cannon basically solidifying his spot as the team’s right tackle over the last several weeks, it wouldn’t shock me if teams are calling on Wynn – and the Patriots are answering.
Matthew Judon
Matt Judon is the most valuable player the Patriots have. His 8.5 sacks lead the NFL, and he makes his presence felt on just about every defensive snap.
New England signed Judon to a whopping 4-year $54 million contract at the beginning of 2021. Call me crazy, but with two years still left on the deal, the Patriots would be able to get a haul for Judon if they made him available.
Damien Harris
First and foremost, I firmly believe that the Patriots should not trade Damien Harris. Their depth at running back is incredibly thin right now and Rhamondre Stevenson has taken a beating over the last several weeks with Harris recovering from a hamstring injury.
However, Stevenson is the clear number one in this backfield and Harris could be an RB1 in plenty of NFL systems. They’re likely to not re-sign Harris after this season, so getting something for him in a trade could be their best bet moving forward.
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