3 players the New England Patriots should trade before the 2023 trade deadline

The trade deadline in 2023 is at the end of October, so it's slowly approaching. The Patriots need to trade some of their veteran players to acquire draft capital for the coming rebuild. There is no turning this thing around in 2023. The season is cooked, and wholesale changes are needed from the top, down. The Pats got shutout at home in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, a team that isn't that good.

At this point, it's time to begin the rebuild process and it's time to throw in the towel on the 2023 NFL season. This roster is simply not talented enough to win many more games and the coaching is also quite bad. The Patriots would be smart to accept their fate and to begin fielding calls about some of their veteran players. Getting a few draft picks back for certain guys only assists in the rebuilding process.

This is a 1-4 team that might honestly pick #1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft if the current trend holds. Let's look at three players the Patriots should trade in 2023 to help spark the rebuild.

3 players the New England Patriots should trade before the 2023 trade deadline
1. Kendrick Bourne, WR

Kendrick Bourne is in the last year of a three-year deal he signed with the Patriots for the 2021 NFL season. He had a nice first year with the team, then seemed to find himself in the doghouse in 2022. Now, in 2023, he leads the team in receiving yards. He's currently caught 18 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.

He's on pace to finish with 741 yards, which is about what he is as a player. Being that he's a free agent at the end of the year and approaching 30 years old, he's not someone who the Pats should keep around for the coming rebuild. Getting a 4th or 5th round pick for Bourne from a contending team makes a ton of sense.

Why let him hit the market and leave for free?