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Patriots Latest Move Is Clear Sign of Incoming Trade

The New England Patriots' latest move is a clear sign of an incoming trade.

Evan Massey

Jul 27, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) speaks to the media after training camp at Gillette Stadium.
Jul 27, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) speaks to the media after training camp at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots are without a doubt a team to watch with the NFL trade deadline coming up on November 5th.

Looking at the roster, the Patriots have five or six players who appear to be perfect trade candidates. One of them is 26-year-old pass-rusher Josh Uche, who simply hasn't been able to work his way into a consistent role with the team.

New England has made a move that hints that a trade is incoming for Uche.

Uche was placed on the inactive list for today's game against the New York Jets. That is notable becuse he is not inactive due to an injury. The Patriots simply decided that he wasn't going to play.

Clearly, that's something that suggests a trade is coming for the linebacker.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz also suggested that idea. With Uche being one of the most talked about names on the trade market over the last week or two, this move is a strong signal.

Uche will be a popular target for quite a few contenders around the NFL. Adding a pass-rusher is something that most contenders are always looking to do.

So far this season in seven games, Uche has recorded 13 tackles and two sacks. However, he played a consistently big role in 2022 and showed signs of star potential with 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Still having youth on his side will make Uche an extremely intriguing target. He's in the final year of his contract, but his new team could acquire him and sign him to an extension.

It will be interesting to monitor the Patriots in the coming days. They are nothing close to a contender and extra draft capital would be very important to speed up their rebuild.

All of that being said, trading Uche seems like a forgone conclusion at this point in time. With the move to make him inactive today, a trade could be very close to happening.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

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