It's unclear how the New England Patriots will approach this week's NFL trade deadline.
There's much to learn, however, by looking back at their previous deadline dealings, as the Patriots have made at least one transaction in four of the last five years and seven of the last nine.
Below is a rundown of the moves New England made (or didn't make) ahead of each of the last five trade deadlines. We limited these to trades made within two weeks of the deadline, so players acquired in, say, mid-September, like wide receiver Josh Gordon was in 2018, aren't included.
The 2021 deadline is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
2020
Acquired WR Isaiah Ford from Miami Dolphins for 2022 conditional sixth-round pick
Seeking additional wideout depth at last year's deadline, the Patriots swung a rare in-division trade -- their first with the Dolphins since the Wes Welker swap in 2007 -- sending a future late-round pick to Miami for Ford.
That budget move didn't pay off. Ford lasted just over a month in New England. He was cut in December without playing a single snap, then promptly re-signed with Miami, meaning the Patriots essentially gave the Dolphins a draft pick for free.
It was the second straight year that New England acquired a pass-catcher at the deadline. The first also produced less-than-stellar results.
2019
-Acquired WR Mohamed Sanu from Atlanta Falcons for second-round pick
-Traded DE Michael Bennett to Dallas Cowboys for conditional late-round pick
Hoping to maximize what proved to be the final few months of Tom Brady's tenure, Bill Belichick overpaid for Sanu, who had productive years in Atlanta and Cincinnati and seemed like a solid fit at the time. He wasn't.
Sanu was great in his second appearance with the Patriots (10-81-1 in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens) but suffered an ankle injury one game later and was never the same, failing to contribute for the NFL's shallowest receiving corps. Over New England's final eight games, he caught just 15 passes on 33 targets for 114 yards with no touchdowns. He was cut before the start of the 2020 season.
(Side note: There's an alternate universe in which the 2019 Patriots wind up with Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders instead of N'Keal Harry and Sanu. It's hard not to wonder how that would have altered the final year of the Brady era.)
The Patriots also jettisoned Bennett after it became clear the former Pro Bowler was not a fit for their defense.
2018
None
Despite being linked to receivers like Demaryius Thomas and Golden Tate, the Patriots stood pat at the 2018 trade deadline. They later signed linebackers Albert McClellan and Ramon Humber to shore up their special teams and went on to win Super Bowl LIII.
2017
Traded QB Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco 49ers for second-round pick
The Patriots rarely acquire big-name players in deadline deals, but they have shipped a few out in recent years. The Garoppolo trade certainly qualifies. Bill Belichick was criticized for only landing a second-rounder in exchange for his highly touted backup quarterback.
New England reportedly considered reacquiring Garoppolo this past offseason before drafting Mac Jones. He's now playing on borrowed time in San Francisco after the Niners selected their own QB of the future, Trey Lance.
2016
-Acquired LB Kyle Van Noy from Detroit Lions for seventh-round pick
-Traded LB Jamie Collins to Cleveland Browns for third-round pick
Sometimes, even contending teams sell star players at the deadline. That was the case with Collins, who'd started each of the first six games for the 6-1 Patriots and was a second-team All-Pro in 2015. The Pats moved him to Cleveland, then proceeded to play in each of the next three Super Bowls, winning two. Collins wound up returning to New England on a budget deal in 2019, then came back for a third stint earlier this month.
The Van Noy trade was one of the best of Belichick's career. The Patriots gave up next to nothing for a player who would go on to start 47 games for them (and counting).
Previous deadline acquisitions: none in 2015; LB Jonathan Casillas and LB Akeem Ayers in 2014; DT Isaac Sopoaga in 2013; CB Aqib Talib in 2012
