The New England Patriots definitely could use an upgrade at tight end before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline, and the Cincinnati Bengals have one player who would satisfy that need.
The Athletic's Jeff Howe reported Tuesday the the Patriots "are among the teams that have shown the most interest" in trading for Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert.
Eifert is in the final year of his contract and eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season. The 29-year-old veteran's career has often been plagued by injuries, but he's played in all eight of Cincinnati's games this season.
He has tallied 23 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown in those eight games. Eifert's best performance of the year actually came Sunday in the Bengals' Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He caught six passes for 74 yards on nine targets (all season highs).
The Patriots don't have the best depth at tight end entering Week 9. They had 38-year-old Benjamin Watson and newly acquired Eric Tomlinson active at tight end for Sunday's victory over the Cleveland Browns. New England's two other tight ends, Matt LaCosse (knee injury) and Ryan Izzo (concussion), both were inactive in Week 8.
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The Bengals are 0-8 and would be smart to trade some of their veteran players in exchange for draft picks.
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