Three Patriots players were included on a list of potential trade candidates leading up to the NFL trade deadline, although New England fans probably won’t be overly surprised about their inclusion.
Eric Edholm of NFL.com released a list of notable players who should be on the move before the Nov. 1 deadline and included Patriots receivers Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor along with offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn.
All three players have either fallen out of favor with the Patriots or, especially in Wynn’s case, struggled to produce for the offense now led by third-string quarterback Bailey Zappe given the multi-week absence of Mac Jones. Bourne, specifically, saw a season-high 57% of offensive snaps in Week 5 win over the Detroit Lions, but prior to that didn’t step on the field often. It’s impacted Bourne’s production greatly as he has merely 10 catches on 13 targets for 139 yards this season. Agholor, another free-agent signing from 2020, has 14 receptions for 225 yards in five games, though six of those catches and 110 of those yards came in an impressive Week 2 performance.
“If the Patriots believe in a core of Jakobi Meyers, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton and possibly Lil’Jordan Humphrey, they could be compelled to move either Agholor or Bourne — or both,” Edholm wrote Tuesday, acknowledging how Agholor is set to hit the open market after the campaign with Bourne under contract next season.
Additionally, Wynn has been the weak line on the Patriots’ offensive line through five games, no matter what offensive line coach Matt Patricia might be willing to admit. Wynn previously was benched during Week 4 after an abysmal showing against the Packers, as he allowed a sack which led to a Brian Hoyer concussion and an additional hit on Zappe which led to a fumble.
“Wynn turns 27 years old in December and likely would not cost as much to trade for given that he’s due to hit free agency in the spring,” Edholm wrote. “It’s also been clear that he and the Patriots have not been on the same page for some time now.”
For now, though, it seems the 2-3 Patriots will have all three players at their disposal in a Week 6 clash against the Cleveland Browns.
