Ranking Four Players Patriots Should’ve Traded Before Deadline

The New England Patriots should have done more ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

The 2-7 Patriots are going nowhere fast. They lost to Tyler Huntley’s Miami Dolphins, the dysfunctional Jacksonville Jaguars before Mason Rudolph and the one-win Tennessee Titans served as the icing on the cake. If New England doesn’t qualify as a seller before the deadline, who does?

It’s understandable first-year head coach Jerod Mayo wants to establish a culture in New England. Keeping building blocks who will remain in Foxboro, Mass. for the long-term makes some sense. But the Patriots have plenty of other players who don’t fit that bill. Why not sell expendable players on expiring contracts for draft picks? Who cares if some of those players only bring back Day 3 selections.

Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, arguably the biggest loser at the deadline, opted not to do so.

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But that didn’t stop us from ranking four players who he should’ve dealt:

4. Daniel Ekuale, DL
The Patriots reportedly were open to trading players on expiring deals, and Ekuale is among them. The 30-year-old ranks as New England’s 8th-grade defender and teams like the Cincinnati Bengals reportedly were kicking the tires on the defensive tackle market. Jerod Mayo indicated Christian Barmore is inching closer to his return, which likely will send Ekuale to the bench. The return might not have been great, but Ekuale is another example of selling an expiring asset.

3. Jonathan Jones, CB
The Patriots must have plans to re-sign Jones this offseason because failing to do so after not trading him would be roster malpractice. The veteran cornerback likely would have granted the Patriots one of their best returns (outside of obvious stars) given he plays a premier position. It was the main argument of trading him. Mayo and company clearly felt Jones meant too much to the locker room as the 31-year-old has become a leading voice given a recent string of injuries.

2. Tyquan Thornton, WR
NFL insider Albert Breer reported the Patriots were getting some interest in Thornton, a 2022 second-round pick who’s failed to do much of anything in three seasons. Former league executive Mike Lombardi hinted the Dallas Cowboys were interested in Thornton, too. Instead, the Patriots kept Thornton, a healthy scratch in Week 9, in their receiver room.

1. K.J. Osborn, WR
It’s a stunner Osborn wasn’t dealt. It was an easy decision. The veteran wideout is playing on an expiring contract, has failed to produce on the field and created some controversy a few weeks prior when he expressed his frustration with his role. The Patriots reportedly received calls on Osborn for what likely would have resulted in a late-round pick. Why not get something — anything — for him? That’s the most perplexing of all of Wolf’s non-moves.