The November 1st NFL trade deadline is approaching fast, and many teams around the league are scrambling to determine if they are buyers or sellers. The New England Patriots are an organization at a crossroads; Sitting at the bottom of their division after Week 8, most teams would consider establishing themselves as sellers and trade away their assets for draft picks.
Though the Patriots trade rumors have pertained to trading away players, New England is certainly not giving up on their playoff chances. The Patriots have a 4-4 record and their starting QB Mac Jones is back from injury, so there is plenty of hope for New England to fight for a playoff spot this season. Let’s break down some of the most notable Patriots trade rumors and how they might impact New England’s season going forward.
1: Isaiah Wynn
Offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn has been one of the more talked about Patriots trade rumors, and it seems he is tired of listening to the noise. After Week 8’s 22-17 victory over the New York Jets, ESPN’s Mike Reiss asked the 2018 first-round draft pick if he wanted to stay with the Patriots and he responded “I’m here, right?” Reiss noted that Wynn “abruptly” walked away and ended the interview while adding the questions were an attempt to “indict” him.
Now, this could be a classic case of a professional athlete not having a great time interacting with reporters. However, in this instance, it’s clear that Wynn is more than just annoyed about hearing his name in Patriots trade rumors.
After switching from left to right tackle and missing the team’s voluntary practices in the offseason, Isaiah Wynn has had quite a tempestuous fifth season with the Patriots. According to NBC Sports Boston’s Darren Hartwell, Wynn was even given a “shockingly-bad” pass-blocking grade of 5 out of 100 against the Cleveland Browns in Week 6.
Isaiah Wynn’s $5.785 million rookie contract with the Patriots ends at the end of the season, making him a free agent in 2023. Expect if there is to be a departure from New England, it will come at the price of losing Wynn and most likely getting a mid-to-late round draft pick in return.
2: Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor
Many of the Patriots trade rumors have followed wide receivers Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, and it is understandable as to why that’s the case. New England has found itself with a surplus of depth in the wide receiver position, with the likes of Bourne, Agholor, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, and Jakobi Meyers repping the Patriots’ uniform this season.
At the beginning of the year, New England was lacking production from their wideouts. Parker had been adjusting to a new playbook, the rookie Thornton was on the IR due to a collarbone injury suffered in August, and there was constant QB controversy about whether Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe would be the starting quarterback for the season.
Yet, of all the wide receivers in New England, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor’s production has been the least convincing. Bourne has only 11 receptions for 156 receiving yards with no touchdowns, while Agholor has 15 receptions for 227 receiving yards and a touchdown. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher reported that Bourne and Agholor could be “intriguing options,” for other teams to consider, while Meyers and Parker are “unlikely to be traded” as they both have prominent roles in New England’s offense. Considering Thronton was a 2022 first-round draft pick, don’t expect him to get moved either.
Fisher added that it wouldn’t be likely for both Bourne and Agholor to be traded, noting that Bourne is in the second year of a three-year team-friendly contract. Bourne is also a “chemistry fit” with QB Mac Jones according to Fisher, so it would be expected he sticks around in New England after the NFL trade deadline. However, Agholor may be the wide receiver that gets traded as he is in the final year of his contract with the Patriots and would save New England over $5 million.
3: Damien Harris
NFL.com’s Cody Benjamin reported that running back Damien Harris could be dealt before the NFL trade deadline on November 1st. After suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5 against the Detroit Lions, Rhamondre Stevenson has taken over as the starting running back and hasn’t looked back since.
Last season, Harris established himself as one of the premier running backs in the NFL. He had 202 carries for 929 rushing yards and added 15 rushing touchdowns to his resume as well. Yet, Harris only has 302 rushing yards on 71 carries this season with three rushing touchdowns. His stock may be lower than it was last season, but New England could certainly get an early-round draft pick in return for the running back.
However, Benjamin added that a Harris trade should be seen as unlikely, as head coach Bill Belichick has “tended to rotate” running backs in his time with the Patriots. Harris could continue to be used as “insurance” for Stevenson and establish New England as a run-first team through the rest of the season.
Patriots Trade Rumors: Who Will Actually Depart?
Of all the Patriots trade rumors, offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn is the most likely candidate to depart New England ahead of the November 1st NFL trade deadline. Wide receiver Nelson Agholor is another Patriot who could be traded as well, but otherwise, there is not much activity expected from New England at the trade deadline.
Belichick and the Patriots will hope to build off their crucial 22-17 victory away to the Jets when they travel to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.