The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon, and the New England Patriots could be one of the most interesting teams if they choose to be sellers.
There are a bunch of players on the Patriots offense with expiring contracts who contending teams might have interest in acquiring. This group includes wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, running back Ezekiel Elliott, left tackle Trent Brown, guard Michael Onwenu and tight end Hunter Henry.
What are the chances any of these players are dealt before the deadline?
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Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer noted Sunday on NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Pregame Live that he doesn't think New England will trade its top offensive players, and there's one specific reason for that.
"I wanna emphasize here, this is Bill's call. Bill still has his finger on the trigger and he's gonna be the one who decides whether to make a trade or not to make a trade," Breer explained. "But the personnel department has been hard at work and working the phones ahead of the trade deadline. I'd say they absolutely have been more seller than buyer when it comes to those talks over the last couple of weeks.
"I think they've been disciplined in not letting the result of one game affect what they're going to do going forward or the way they're going to approach those talks going forward. They've got a bunch of contract year guys. Now, I don't think they trade guys who would affect the quarterback. So that's Mike Onwenu, that's Kendrick Bourne, that's Mike Gesicki. I think those guys will wind up sticking around so they can get a clean read on the quarterback."
This theory makes sense.
It's so important for the Patriots that they develop Mac Jones as best as possible and surround him with the talent required to accomplish that. They need to get an accurate read on his talent before having to decide whether he's worthy of a lucrative extension at some point.
Subtracting his left tackle, his most trusted tight end, a veteran running back or another versatile offensive lineman would make Jones' job much harder, and it's already been a struggle for most of the season.
Bourne has easily been the Patriots' best wide receiver this season. It wouldn't be a bad idea to extend him in the offseason. The Patriots' depth along the offensive line is pretty weak, so if Brown or Onwenu were traded, the o-line issues that were a major problem earlier in the season could return.
Even if the Patriots only win five or six games and miss the playoffs again, the season can still be a success if Jones takes a step forward and shows meaningful improvement. Keeping his best offensive teammates the whole season is the best way for that scenario to unfold.