NFL Trade Rumors: Patriots ‘In Market’ For Pass-Catcher As Deadline Nears

You don’t need to be a football expert to diagnose what ails the Patriots. Like last season, New England doesn’t have any explosive pass-catchers who intimidate opposing defenses.

Well, help soon could be on the way.

The Patriots are searching for a pass-catcher ahead of the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported Sunday morning, citing sources. La Canfora mentioned Adam Thielen and Will Fuller as possible targets, but did not say whether the Patriots have pursued either receiver.

From his column:

A year after trading a second-round pick for Mohamed Sanu, a deal that provided little reward with the receiver quickly injured, the Patriots remain in the market for a pass catcher, league sources said, with the team’s lingering lack of speed and ability in the downfield pass game still a prevailing issue.

La Canfora also included scathing reviews from opposing evaluators and executives.

“It’s the same thing as it was before,” a scout told La Canfora. “(Julian) Edelman is slowing down and isn’t going to give you the YAC like he could before. They don’t get anything out of their tight ends at all in the passing game, and they don’t do anything deep, because they can’t. The line is all over the place from a personnel standpoint. There’s only so much you can do with that cast of characters.”

From an NFL executive:

“It’s the worst group of skill players in the NFL, and you should probably put skill players in quotes. That has to be the slowest offense in the league.”

La Canfora noted Bill Belichick is well aware of the problem. We’ll see if he and the Patriots do anything about it.