Report: Teams Still Trying To Trade For Dion Lewis, But It 'Won't Happen'
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's impossible to know who or what Bill Belichick could trade away before Tuesday's 4 p.m. deadline, but it's clear who he will not be trading.
A number of NFL teams have reportedly been calling about running back Dion Lewis in hopes of swinging a deal, but Bill Belichick is not budging. The Ringer's Mike Lombardi, who is a former coaching assistant with the Patriots, tweeted on Monday that "several teams" have tried in recent days, but a Lewis trade "won't happen."
NBC Sports Boston's Mike Giardi added that teams have been calling the Patriots about Lewis for "weeks," perhaps because of the running back's lighter workload earlier in the season (46 total snaps in Weeks 1-4). But his snap count has steadily increased as the season has gone on and he played a season-high 30 on Sunday against the Chargers, the most among all Patriots running backs.
Lewis has averaged 4.89 yards per carry in his past four games and has caught all five of his targets for 26 yards in that span. As he continues to carve out a larger role in the Patriots offense, the trade rumors will likely continue to die out. But still, the Patriots already have some trade targets in mind and there are some good players out there who are actually available.