Patriots Could Make Surprising Trade Deadline Decision

Will the New England Patriots shock the NFL world before the trade deadline?

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots in the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The general consensus is that the New England Patriots will be major sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline, and based on the fact that they are 2-6 heading into Week 9, it's entirely understandable why that is the case.

But could the Patriots actually shock the world and go in a different direction before Tuesday?

Maybe.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that New England may actually seek to buy some pieces ahead of the deadline in order to get a head start on 2025.

"Could the Patriots… buy? They could. 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."

We already heard that New England is seeking offensive line help, so it also stands to reason that the Pats could be aiming to shore up other areas of need, such as wide receiver.

The Patriots have holes up and down the roster. That includes the defensive side of the ball, where they have slipped considerably this season.

Of course, New England will surely pick its spots carefully. If the Pats are going to buy, it will be for young players under team control for the foreseeable future. The chances of the Patriots attempting to trade for players in the final year of their contracts seem slim to none.

New England has already made one move, trading edge rusher Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs.

We'll see what else the Pats have up their sleeves over the next couple of days.

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