6 players the Patriots should NOT trade before the deadline

Josh Uche

One of the names circulating online as one of the most desirable for interested teams to trade for continues to be Josh Uche. The 25-year-old has slowly but surely climbed his way up the ranks in the Patriots' defense, with his 2022 performance cementing him as a critical piece of the team moving forward.

Uche's first two seasons in the league were unremarkable despite the apparent potential he had continued to display. So when he finally came alive last year, recording 27 combined tackles, 14 quarterback hits, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, it wasn't all that surprising to those who had watched him since he was drafted in 2020.

Much like others on the team this season, Uche has had a slow start, and after suffering an injury in Week 6 against the Raiders, will miss this Sunday's matchup with the Bills. It's a massive loss for the defense, who will also be down Keion White on top of the continued absence of Matthew Judon.

This would be a prime time for Uche to get back to his performance of last year, becoming the quarterback menace he started to become known for. Unfortunately, that will have to wait at least another week as he deals with an ankle and knee injury.

Although it should never be celebrated, the timing of the linebacker's injury may keep him off the trade block, especially since the severity of his injury is not yet known. Inquiring teams would almost certainly want him to be a contributor right away and not want to trade for a player who may be sidelined for the rest of the season.

However, like some other names on this list, Uche is being named as one of the more valued players the Patriots could receive the best return for if traded. That may be accurate, but if last season indicates what he can be on this defense, why move on from that now?