The New England Patriots are 5-4 after nine weeks, and their schedule will get somewhat more forgiving in the second half of the season. That's why, with all the injuries, it was somewhat surprising to see them stand pat at the trade deadline.
While they were never expected to make a blockbuster deal, several obvious needs remain. That includes the thin, banged-up wide receiver corps, a talking point for all the wrong reasons this season.
However, even though the Patriots didn't trade for a wide receiver, they can technically still add a Pro-Bowler to the mix, though any move would come with massive risks. Tyreek Hill is still a free agent, and Brandon Aiyuk might become one soon.
The Patriots could consider signing Tyreek Hill or Brandon Aiyuk, but probably won't
Hill is working his way back from a freak knee injury. Even though he's still tangled up in a complicated legal situation, he and his agent insist that he's adamant about playing again, and his phone might start ringing off the hook after the deadline.
That said, even if the Patriots were to be interested in him, which is a big 'if,' they're unlikely to beat out other teams in a bidding war. He's likely returning to the Kansas City Chiefs; honestly, that's probably for the best. The Patriots don't need the bad P.R. for a guy who might not even be a shell of the All-World player he was in his prime.
That leaves us with Aiyuk. He applied for reinstatement and has stayed out of trouble for a while. The San Francisco 49ers will never welcome him back, so they will most likely release him after failing to find a trade partner.
Aiyuk was a second-team All-Pro the last time he was healthy, so some teams might be interested if he's willing to play for pennies on the dollar. But again, the red flags might be too big to ignore; he might not be worth the hassle at this point in his career.
While Mike Vrabel runs a tight ship and is a no-nonsense guy, Aiyuk has serious problems with authority and accountability. As good as he may still be, you don't want that type of energy in the locker room, especially on a young team trying to get it together.
The list of potential reinforcements is underwhelming and raises more questions than it answers, so the Patriots will likely run it back with the guys they already have. And judging by the reinforcements they could target at this point in the season, that's probably for the best.
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