As the New England Patriots prepare to take on the New York Jets in Week 8 action, one of their main stars will not suit up, despite being healthy. Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports is reporting that despite not having any injury designation, New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche will not be playing in today’s game.
The 26-year-old linebacker out of Michigan has been one of the trade candidates on the New England Patriots roster right now and with the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline approaching on Nov. 5, there is more of a likelihood that Josh Uche will be moved. Rather than risking Uche getting injured and not be able to move him, the New England Patriots have decided to bench him.
Josh Uche has been playing at a good level as he has 13 total tackles (10 solo, three assisted) with a pair of sacks on the year. This is not much of a cost-saving strategy either as he is on the final year of his rookie contract, which has a base salary of $1.3 million this season. However, this indicates how the New England Patriots are looking to get something back for losing Uche this offseason.
Where can the New England Patriots trade Josh Uche?
The New England Patriots are in the midst of a rebuild as they continue to look for draft capital to improve the team in the future. Reports are saying the team is asking for a fifth-round pick, which certainly seems attainable. There is one team that stands above the rest with linebacker being a need and wanting to significantly improve for the 2024 season.
The Dallas Cowboys make a lot of sense as their lack of linebacker depth is one of the reasons this team has been unable to stop the run. With the contracts of players like offensive guard Zack Martin coming off the books, there will be money to re-sign Josh Uche and a fifth-round pick is not much to give up for that level of talent.
This seems to be a move that would make a lot of sense. Let’s see if they will eventually link up and make the move.
About the Author
Vincent Pensabene graduated from Saint Leo University in 2019 with a B.A. in Sport Business and has focused on the media side of sports. He writes for multiple publications and is interested in the reasoning of why things happen. Feel free to follow him on social media @TalkVinTalk and discuss all things sports.
