Could Patriots Sell High On Pass-Catcher After Bills Game?

The NFL trade deadline is a week away, and New England has multiple pieces who could help a contender.

That attitude might not excite Patriots fans after the team’s upset win over the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium. And while 2-5 doesn’t make the Patriots mathematically out of the playoffs, there still are players New England can part with to give others more playing time.

ESPN’s NFL reporters each listed a player that every team could trade away before the trade deadline. For the Patriots, Mike Gesicki was brought up as a candidate.

“Heading into Week 7, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Gesicki had played 51.5% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps as a complement to top tight end Hunter Henry (75.4% playing time), catching 17 passes for 149 yards and one score,” ESPN wrote Tuesday. “He could easily be a No. 1 option for a team that has a tight end need. New England signed Gesicki to a one-year contract in the offseason, and if another team was willing to part with a midround draft pick, that might be something the Patriots at least consider with No. 3 TE Pharaoh Brown also on the depth chart.”

Gesicki caught Mac Jones’ game-winning touchdown pass last Sunday, but the moment masked a dull outing from the 28-year-old. The sixth-year tight end caught two passes for five yards against the Bills and matched Henry’s 50% snap count.

Brown caught two passes for 51 yards, which proved to jump-start New England’s offense and give Jones more confidence throughout the Week 7 matchup. According to Pro Football Focus grades, Brown is a better blocker than Gesicki, so trading away the latter, who signed a one-year contract this past offseason, would open up more playing time for a player who better fits the Patriots offense.

The fact that Gesiciki isn’t the best blocking tight end could damper his trade value, but there could be a team out there desperate enough to find an upgrade at tight end. Perhaps the Bills, who lost Dawson Knox last Sunday to injury.