Patriots Trade Rumors: Deal For Receiver ‘Unlikely’ Despite Injuries

In the span of about 30 minutes, the Patriots went from having too many receivers to not enough. But don’t expect any reinforcements to arrive before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

DeVante Parker suffered a scary-looking concussion during the third quarter of New England’s Week 8 road loss to the Miami Dolphins. Shortly afterward, Kendrick Bourne, the Patriots’ top receiver, suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

That leaves the Patriots with five receivers who range from unproven to disappointing: Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jalen Reagor, Tyquan Thornton and Kayson Boutte. However, ESPN’s Mike Reiss on Tuesday reported New England is “unlikely” to trade for receiver help despite the rash of injuries.

“Because they were carrying seven receivers on the roster leading into Sunday’s game, coupled with their record, it’s unlikely the Patriots would acquire a pass-catcher before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline,” Reiss wrote.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The Patriots, at 2-6, should be selling at the deadline — not buying. It would be one thing if New England could acquire a depressed asset who’s under contract for another season, like Jerry Jeudy, but that kind of deal might not be out there.

You can click here to monitor all Patriots trade rumors as Tuesday’s deadline approaches.