One Potential Patriots Trade Candidate With Season Hanging In Balance

The New England Patriots are staring at a harsh reality before Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season: They might be sellers at this year's trade deadline.

The Patriots lost four of their first five games, including the last two in blowout fashion, and there are few, if any, reasons to believe they will turn around their fortunes and make a playoff push. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins look like legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the AFC East, and New England has both offensive and defensive issues to work out.

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If the Patriots stay on their current trajectory, shipping away pieces might be their best course of action before the Oct. 31 trade deadline. That, at least, would give New England a head start on a pivotal offseason that figures to have major implications for 2024 and beyond.

So, who exactly could the Patriots send packing?

The Athletic on Friday published a piece in which its writers identified one player from each of their respective teams who has the potential to be traded before the deadline.

Patriots reporter Chad Graff pointed to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.

Here's what Graff wrote:

If the Patriots continue playing like they have, they'll have a lot of players to offer to contending teams. Left tackle Trent Brown, right guard Mike Onwenu, edge rusher Josh Uche and safety Kyle Dugger all come to mind. But the return for those players would have to be meaningful since the Patriots would likely get a compensatory draft pick if any of them sign elsewhere next offseason.

That may not be the case for Bourne, which could make him easier to acquire. Teams probably only view Bourne as a depth receiver, maybe a No. 3 or 4 option, but for a contending team dealing with some injuries, he could be an acceptable replacement.

The Patriots are thin at wide receiver, with Demario Douglas and JuJu Smith-Schuster among seven players ruled out for Sunday's Week 6 game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. That's more or less a non-factor as it relates to this discussion, though, because New England obviously would be looking toward the future -- not the present -- if it opts to sell.

Bourne, who signed with New England before the 2021 season after four years with the San Francisco 49ers, has had a rollercoaster Patriots tenure. He enjoyed a productive first season in New England, showing a strong connection with quarterback Mac Jones, but fell out of favor in 2022. The 28-year-old has been decent in 2023.

As Graff mentions, the Patriots probably wouldn't receive much as part of a Bourne trade. He's an ancillary piece; not a core contributor. But we shouldn't rule out anything as it relates to New England personnel decisions in the coming weeks and months.

The Patriots are in a bad spot, requiring changes -- big and small.