Year one of Jerod Mayo’s tenure as New England Patriots head coach has not gone according to plan, which is unsurprising given how the 2023 season ended. New England is on track to have one of the worst records in the league and could be looking to offload a few vets at the trade deadline.
Below, we’ll highlight a few players who might not be with the organization after the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
1. K.J. Osborn, WR
The veteran receiver was viewed as an excellent pickup by the Patriots this offseason. Osborn was signed to a one-year, $4 million deal after spending the first four years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings.
However, Osborn hasn’t seen much playing time this season with the Patriots, leading his name to come up in trade rumors.
This season, the 27-year-old receiver has recorded seven receptions (16 targets) for 57 yards and a touchdown. The veteran pass catcher scored his first touchdown in the Pats’ Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Osborn has been frustrated with his role in New England and that might not change with them having an abundance of young wide receivers in Demario Douglas, Kashon Boutte, and Ja’Lynn Polk.
Therefore, his next best option is seeking a trade to a wide receiver-needy team. We’ve already seen three wide receivers moved over the last two weeks (Amari Cooper, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins), and that will likely continue with Diontae Johnson and Christian Kirk picking up interest.
For teams that miss out on Johnson or Kirk, the Patriots could get a Day 3 pick (5th or 6th round pick) for Osborn. While Osborn hasn’t played up to par in New England this season, he was a solid WR2/WR3 in Minnesota.
2. Josh Uche, EDGE
With star pass rushers Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby likely not being moved at the deadline, teams will try to see if they can steal Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith from their respective squads.
However, the 26-year-old Uche could be a nice pickup for a team looking to take a chance on a pass rusher on a one-year deal. The former second-round pick is appealing to many teams just for that reason.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Uche’s name has been floating around the trade market for the second consecutive year. The former Michigan defender re-signed with the Pats in the offseason on a one-year, $3 million deal after a down 2023 season.
The Patriots thought Uche would take off in 2023 after he had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2022.
But that dream never came to fruition as he only had three sacks in 15 games last year. To his credit, the 6-foot-1 outside linebacker has played better this season. Uche has posted 13 total tackles, five quarterback pressures, three quarterback hits, and two sacks in seven games (two starts).
Unlike Osborn, New England doesn’t have to trade Uche at the deadline. They could re-sign him to a multi-year deal next offseason if he can continue to make plays. However, if they don’t feel like he’s not part of their plans, the Pats are better off trying to get some value back in return.
3. Jonathan Jones, CB
The 31-year-old cornerback hasn’t seen his name pop up in trade rumors often, but he could be a logical candidate for the Patriots to move ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline.
Jones is entering the final year of a two-year, $19 million deal he signed in Mar. 2023. The vet is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.
Heading into Week 8, the 5-foot-9 defensive back has recorded 27 combined tackles, three pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Jones hasn’t been a shutdown corner in pass coverage this season but still could be valuable for a contender looking for secondary help.
The veteran cornerback has a 69.6 completion percentage allowed on targets (career-worst) and a 114.4 pass rating allowed when targeted (career-worst). But Jones has only given up one receiving touchdown this season.
Teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers could be ideal trading partners with the Patriots for Jones
