Which players could Patriots add or move? Latest trade deadline buzz

Which players could Patriots add or move? Latest trade deadline buzz originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Common NFL trade deadline wisdom holds that the best teams look to add talent, while the worst teams look to exchange players for future draft picks.

Could the 2-6 New England Patriots go against the grain in the coming days?

The Patriots could be buyers ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and have inquired about several players, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Saturday.

“Similar to what the Bears did last year, New England could use the trade deadline to beef up its young talent base and start free agency early,” Rapoport wrote. “They’ve already called on several players on the market and despite most assuming they’ll sell (which is possible), they could also buy in the right situation with a player who would be part of the Patriots’ future.”

What type of player are the Patriots looking for? During his appearance Sunday on NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Pregame Live, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted the ideal situation would be similar to that of the Chicago Bears, who acquired star pass rusher Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders at last year’s deadline.

“That’s the (type of) player I think the Patriots would be interested going in getting: the sort of guy who is in his mid-20s, who maybe needs a new contract, who is ascending and clearly you could view as part of your core,” Breer said. “And that’s what they were thinking when they went out and tried to acquire Brandon Aiyuk over the summer.”

As Breer pointed out, however, it’s very rare that players like Sweat are available at the trade deadline, as Washington was in the unique situation of having new ownership that wanted a reset and actually requested that Sweat and Chase Young be traded. So at this juncture, Breer believes it’s unlikely New England adds at the deadline.

“They’re open to it, certainly. I don’t think it’s very likely that it happens,” Breer said. “… I just don’t think that opportunity exists right now. It would have to be that type of player, though. I think it’s very unlikely that it happens, but certainly something that the Patriots are open to over the next few days.”

It’s very possible the Patriots continue to sell, however. After trading edge rusher Joshua Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round pick earlier in the week, the team has gotten calls about several other veterans, including wide receivers K.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton and cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Marco Wilson, Breer reported Sunday.

While Breer noted the Patriots could be hesitant to trade a respected veteran like Jones, the other three players are prime trade candidates — especially Osborn and Thornton, who were both healthy scratches for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

“I think teams look at (Osborn) and say, ‘This is very much a guy that we can plug and play,’ an experienced guy who was a clutch player over the years as sort of a secondary weapon in the Minnesota Vikings offense,” Breer said. “… And then Thornton I think obviously because of his speed. The NFL never gives up on speed.”

One player who appears off-limits, however, is Kyle Dugger: Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry reported Sunday the expectation is New England won’t trade its talented safety despite his name appearing in trade rumors.

Check out the video player above for more insight from Breer on the NFL trade deadline, which is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.