The 1-5 New England Patriots are in unfamiliar territory. For maybe the first time under Bill Belichick, the Patriots are sure-fire selling candidates at the trade deadline.
New England has more questions than answers at this point, and within a tough division, it appears the Patriots' season is too far gone. Things have spiraled out of control for Belichick and the Patriots, and the trade deadline represents opportunity to build for the future.
Now, the question is, which players are the best possible trade candidates? If the Patriots want to try and maximize their returns, these three players appear to be the top candidates to be dealt.
1. Kendrick Bourne, WR
The wide receiver position is a mess for New England. The Patriots chose to pay the wrong receiver in DeVante Parker over Jakobi Meyers, and have a few other WR2 and WR3 types on their depth chart. One of those that's come on strong as of late is veteran Kendrick Bourne.
On the season, Bourne has 28 receptions for 307 yards and two touchdowns. Just this last week, he put up 10 receptions on 11 targets for 89 yards. If the Patriots could even get a sixth rounder back for Bourne at this point, that would be well-worth the trade.
Think of a team like maybe San Francisco, where Bourne previously played. A recent injury to Deebo Samuel could have them thinking about insurance, and Bourne would fit right back into that offense that he's familiar with.
2. Josh Uche, EDGE
Maybe the Patriots' best trade chip is pass rusher Josh Uche, who is coming off a breakout season last year and off to a decent start in 2023. In 2022, Uche ended the year with 11.5 sacks while playing only 38 percent of defensive snaps.
Then, this offseason, the Patriots faced a difficult decision. Uche would obviously love a long-term contract now that he's on the final year of his rookie deal. But, in the end, New England opted not to give him a deal. If the Patriots want to focus solely on the future, dealing Uche for a second or third-round pick would be a fantastic return.
Additionally, it would allow New England to draft his replacement instead of investing too much capital into the pass rusher position. The Patriots have already locked down Matthew Judon with a 4-year, $54 million contract. Putting even more into a guy like Uche, who has only had one solid year of production thus far after struggling with injuries, might not be a wise decision going forward.
Teams like the Atlanta Falcons or New Orleans Saints, who are both fighting for a wide open NFC South, could benefit from Uche. Each of them have struggled getting after the quarterback this year, with Atlanta only totaling nine sacks and New Orleans having 13.
3. Mac Jones, QB
Finally, we come to the quarterback position. Mac Jones is indeed a former first-round pick. He is still on his rookie deal. Both of those facts are attractive. However, his play has not been. Jones has visibly struggled this year, even when things have looked fairly easy for the former Alabama standout.
Behind Jones, the Patriots have Bailey Zappe, who they could turn to for the remainder of the season and truly give him a shot. Now, Zappe likely isn't the answer either, but dealing Jones could still net the Patriots a mid-round pick if another team needed to make a move out of desperation.
On the season, Jones has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 1,208 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Just two years ago, though, Jones was a Pro Bowl quarterback after having thrown for 3,801 yards and completing over 67 percent of his passes while throwing 22 touchdowns to 13 picks.
If the Patriots do decide that Jones isn't the answer (and he's not) then they should make a move right now. Get him out of here for the highest possible pick they can land (a fourth-round selection would be just fine) and move on.