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Realistic trade targets for the New England Patriots

By Brandon Gimpel

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 13: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 13: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on from the bench after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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With the trade deadline just 10 days away, it’s time to start looking at who the Patriots‘ most viable trade options are. Belichick traditionally likes to wait until the last week to make a move in case of injuries that happen that may alter the position the teams needs to upgrade, but one thing we can all agree on is that the offense is the focus point for upgrades.

We know that New England plans on brining N’Keal Harry off the IR if everything goes well in his practices leading up to his eligibility for games, but receiver may still be a target position for a trade. The offensive line has also been subpar this year with all of the injuries that group has had to overcome, so it is also possible that the Patriots try to trade for a lineman, most likely a left tackle. Isaiah Wynn is still in the injured reserve list with an ankle injury, but all signs point to him being able to return after his 8 weeks on IR. If this is the case, I believe the Patriots need to go after a receiver. They have struggled moving the ball recently and their receiving corps is constantly banged up. Harry will help that, but that still may not be enough. Edelman suffered a chest injury a couple of weeks back that seems to still be lingering even though he continues to play, Josh Gordon is dealing with multiple lower-body injuries and is questionable for their gammon Monday night, and Phillip Dorsett may miss another week with his hamstring injury. This group needs help.

If New England were to go in the direction of trading for a receiver, we need to look at potential trade options for them. Reports have come out over the past few weeks linking them to guys like Stefon Diggs, AJ Green, Mohammed Sanu, and Emmanuel Sanders. The Patriots have been making inquiries about Diggs since it was made public that he was not happy with his current role in the Vikings’ offense. They have adamantly said that they do not plan on trading Diggs, plus his contract would force Belichick to do some serious restructuring to find the cap space to bring him in. They have been persistent in their pursuit for Diggs, so they must believe that they will be able to move the money around to be able to take on his contract. Diggs is probably the most talented receiver of the aforementioned. This seems unlikely to me, but would be by far the most exciting move they could make. Next on this list is AJ Green. Green, much like Diggs, has expressed frustration with his current team and would like a change. The Bengals have also said that they do not plan on trading Green, but sources around the league believe it is only a matter of time before Green is traded. With this news, Green has been linked to teams like New England, the Green Bay Packers, and the San Fransisco 49ers. AJ Green is also a very talented wide receiver but has been very prone to injuries throughout his career. Emmanuel Sanders is a similar story. Not happy with his current situation, but Denver has not shown willingness to trade for him. Mohammed Sanu has gone quietly under the radar, but I believe would be a good target for New England. He is a tremendous route runner, would compliment the Patriots‘ offense well, and is not very expensive. He is being forgotten in Atlanta’s mix of weapons, and it would make sense for Atlanta to trade him. In my opinion, Sanu makes the most sense and is the least expensive.

I do believe one of these four guys will be a Patriot by the end of the month. It all depends on how much Belichick and Robert Kraft are willing to give up for another receiver while keeping in mind that they do have Harry set to return in a couple of weeks. Will they go all in on Diggs and give up high draft picks? Or will they keep it simple and go after Sanu? Time will tell, but in Bill we trust.

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