New England Patriots: 5 Targets at Trade Deadline
Sep 11, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) before the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Who will the New England Patriots target ahead of the 2016 NFL Trade Deadline?
At 6-1, the New England Patriots are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL. They are loaded with talent at many positions and are obvious Super Bowl contenders. That being said, Bill Belichick is never afraid to make a move that makes his team better.
The Patriots have already dipped into the trade pool, acquiring talented, but underused, linebacker Kyle Van Noy from the Detroit Lions. The Van Noy acquisition could prove to be an important one, but I would not be surprised to see the Patriots look to make more trades prior to the Nov. 1 NFL Trade Deadline.
Let’s take a look at some potentially impact players who they should be targeting.
Alshon Jeffery, WR — Chicago Bears
The Patriots and Bears have had a nice trade relationship in recent years. If the Bears are truly going to shop Alshon Jeffery prior to the deadline, I expect New England to be involved.
Jeffery is an incredibly talented outside wide receiver who can make big plays in the passing game. He is a big and physical target on the outside who also shows impressive athleticism and ball skills.
The Patriots wide receiver situation is not bad, but they could use some help here. Jeffery is set to hit free agency this off season. And if the Bears feel like they are not going to re-sign him, they may as well look to trade him now.
If a third-round pick would get the job done, the Patriots should strongly consider bringing Jeffery in. He could be the difference between this team being good to them being Super Bowl champions.
Sep 29, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Darqueze Dennard (21) against the Miami Dolphins at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 22-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Darqueze Dennard, CB — Cincinnati Bengals
With Van Noy and Barkevious Mingo being the most recent examples, the Patriots like taking chances on highly drafted players who have not worked out with their current teams. Darqueze Dennard is a realistic possibility to be a similar kind of acquisition.
Dennard was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round (24th overall) in the 2014 NFL Draft. Dennard entered the league as a potential shutdown option on the outside, but has not reached his full potential in Cincinnati.
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The Bengals start Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick over Dennard on the outside and Josh Shaw has even taken over a majority of his work in the slot in recent weeks. Dennard simply is not making an impact for the Bengals.
New England has a strong cornerback situation with Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan leading the way, but they are not loaded with depth at the position. Cyrus Jones has been a major disappointment and Justin Coleman has struggled to stay healthy.
Eric Rowe has shown some ability at the position, but he is inconsistent as well. Dennard would unlikely be a major contributor for New England, but he is a talented guy who could be acquired cheap. Maybe nothing more than a flyer here, but I would like to see the Pats showing some interest in Dennard. They could certainly use the depth at the position.
Oct 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas (73) before the game against the New England Patriots at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Patriots won 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Thomas, OT — Cleveland Browns
If the Patriots want to make a huge splash prior to the upcoming trade deadline, Joe Thomas should be their target. Thomas is arguably the best offensive tackle in the NFL and would obviously make a huge impact for the Patriots up front.
Thomas is 32 years old and his contract runs out at the end of the 2017 season. The Cleveland Browns have been discreet about whether they’d move Thomas or not, but I could certainly envision a scenario where he would be moved.
Thomas is great, but how much value does he really bring to such an obvious rebuilding situation? The 0-7 Browns are obviously not going to be competitive the next couple of seasons. Also, their front office obviously loves collecting as much draft capital as possible.
The Patriots offensive tackle situation is not in danger. Nate Solder has been strong on the left side and Marcus Cannon has played surprisingly well at right tackle. That being said, we have seen Cannon’s struggles against speed rushers before.
Cannon is a strong run blocker, but his pass protection issues are obvious. If the Browns are serious about moving Thomas, then the Patriots would be wise to at least check the asking price. The difference between having Thomas on the offensive line as opposed to Cannon is absolutely massive.
The best way to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots is to put pressure on him. Adding Thomas to the mix would drastically help solve that plan of attack by opposing defenses.
Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) picks up a first down during the third quarter in a game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks won 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Torrey Smith, WR — San Francisco 49ers
The New England Patriots have some nice weapons for Brady to work with in the passing game. Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Martellus Bennett, Chris Hogan and even running back James White make up a strong core of passing game weapons.
However, the Patriots lack somebody who can stretch the defense deep. They have not really had an impact deep receiver since Randy Moss. While Brady and company still put plenty of points on the board, that passing game would be nearly unstoppable with a legitimate deep threat.
The 1-6 San Francisco 49ers are going nowhere this season and would be wise to consider selling some of their assets. Torrey Smith is a guy who would make plenty of sense for San Francisco to move.
Being bogged down by poor quarterback play, Smith has only caught 13 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns this season. That being said, he still seems to be creating plenty of separation on the outside.
Smith is a fast and explosive athlete at the wide receiver position, who always seems to get open deep. With the Patriots’ bulk of weapons in the passing attack, Smith would have ample opportunity to make plays in their offense.
Simply put, adding Smith to Brady’s already impressive arsenal would make them extremely difficult to defend. Also, he is a guy who should be able to be obtained for a low cost. This is a move that would make a ton of sense for both sides.
Sep 19, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) is sacked by Chicago Bears outside linebacker Willie Young (97) during the second half at Soldier Field. Philadelphia won 29-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Willie Young, DE/OLB — Chicago Bears
In today’s NFL where the passing game is king, you simply cannot have too many pass rushers. The Patriots’ stock of edge defenders led by Jabaal Sheard, Rob Ninkovich and Chris Long is great, but any team could use another impact player at that position.
The 1-6 Bears are not going anywhere and could really look to sell off a bit prior to the deadline. As we mentioned before, the Patriots and Bears appear to have a strong working relationship and I wonder if Willie Young is a name that will get mentioned soon.
Young is a strong edge rusher who has played well this season. That being said, at 31 years old, he would make more sense for a team who is set up to win now. The Bears should look to build their outside linebacker position to grow players like Pernell McPhee and Leonard Floyd.
Young is great, but he is unlikely to be a major contributor when this team is actually competitive. Also, Young is probably best suited to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense like the Patriots play, as opposed to an outside linebacker in a 3-4 for the Bears. With that in mind, trading him would make a lot of sense.
Young is an impact defender who could potentially make a huge difference for the Patriots. This is another possible move that would make sense for both sides.