Several Patriots players mentioned as trade targets ahead of NFL deadline
FOXBORO -- With the Patriots sitting at 2-6 and the NFL trade deadline just over a week away, several New England players have found their name mentioned in trade rumors. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Patriots "will listen to any proposal" ahead of the Nov. 5 deadline.
With the season essentially lost after six straight losses, the Patriots will obviously be looking to sell at the deadline. Eliot Wolf and company will be on the hunt for future assets for current players -- ones that aren't going to be part of the future in the big picture.
While the Patriots lack top-end talent on the roster, teams are interested in a handful of their players. Here's a roundup of Patriots players who have been mentioned in trade rumors over the last several days.
Josh Uche
ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss started his Week 8 Sunday morning notes column discussing the trade interest around Josh Uche, who has teams inquiring about his availability for the second straight season. The pass-rusher has two sacks on the season, and has seen his playing time decrease over the last four weeks.
But Uche is on an extremely team-friendly deal after re-upping with New England on a one-year, $3 million contract over the offseason, and seems to understand there's a good chance that he won't be in New England much longer.
"Ultimately, I am an employee of the Patriots and if they think it's in their best interest to trade me, I know they'll do so. If there is an opportunity for them to build for the future, I know they're going to do so," Uche told Reiss.
"At this point in time, there are a lot of rumors, and a lot of information that [media] have access to before I do. So we'll see which one of those pieces of information come to materialize, but I know one thing for sure: Wherever I'm at I'm going to play some damn good football. At this point, it is what it is," Uche added.
Uche was inactive for New England's Week 8 win over the New York Jets despite not being injured, an indication that a trade involving the linebacker could be coming soon.
Davon Godchaux
New England defensive lineman Davon Godchaux was mentioned as a potential trade target for the San Francisco 49ers in Russini's report. San Francisco is looking to plug a hole on their defensive line after losing Javon Hargrave to a tricpes injury and could use a big body to stop the run.
While the New England run defense has fallen off in recent weeks, the 29-year-old Godchaux is considered one of the best run-stuffers in the NFL. He has 26 tackles in his fourth season with the Patriots, and signed a two-year, $21 million extension with the team in July.
Kendrick Bourne
Russini also mentioned a potential reunion for Kendrick Bourne in San Francisco, who originally signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He was part of the trade package that New England was reportedly set to send to San Francisco for Brandon Aiyuk over the summer.
Now that San Francisco has lost Aiyuk for the season, Bourne is being connected to the 49ers again. He missed the first four games of the season while on PUP while recovering from last season's ACL tear, and has four catches for 29 yards since returning on Oct. 5.
Bourne signed a three-year contract worth up to $33 million with the Patriots over the offseason.
K.J. Osborn
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Sunday that it would take "a large deal to pry him from New England" in regards to Bourne. That makes K.J. Osborn "a more likely trade possibility" according to the duo.
Osborn was supposed to be inactive last Sunday in London, but he ended up catching a touchdown in the loss to the Jags. Osborn was told Saturday night that he would play the following day when rookie Javon Baker had a reported "hiccup" during the team's trip overseas.
Osborn hadn't played in the previous two games before his Week 7 action, and has just seven catches on the season. The veteran is only on a one-year deal, and made it sound like he would like to be traded when chatting with reporters during the week.
When is the NFL Trade Deadline?
Teams have to complete trades before 4 p.m. on Nov. 5. This year's trade deadline is a week later than past seasons after NFL owners voted to push it back a week to accommodate the 17-game schedule.