The Patriots edge-rusher (among others) is drawing trade interest

Looks like New England has come very close to working out a trade agreement in the case of Uche last October. However, he ended up staying with the team, playing out the remainder of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old (like many other Patriots, especially on defense) would stay put this offseason, signing a one year contract. As a pending free agent for the second year in a row, he would once again be a cheap pick for a contending team.

To a small surprise, then, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report Uche’s name is “floating in the commercial market”. The former second-round pick is attached to a base salary of just $1.3 million, and any acquiring team would take a commensurate portion of that figure. Especially as a rental at that financial cost, Uche could be an attractive target for any number of suitors. However, expectations would likely be tempered in terms of role and production in the event of a deal.

Uche’s fastball rates have ranged between 30-38% during his career. Never known for run defense, the Michigan product flashed potential as a sack artist in 2022 with a career-high 11.5 in that department. The following season resulted in just three sacks, with Uche managing a pair so far this year. With the Patriots sitting at 1-6, they might be inclined to take a late-round pick as a means of giving him a fresh start on a team willing to add him as a rotation depth piece. Interesting, Uche changed agents this summer, so being dealt to a new team could change the nature of talks over a contract to keep him in place beyond 2024.

The wide receiver position has recently become a talking point in New England, and veteran Kendrick Bourne has been added to the list of potential trade candidates. A move to return him to San Francisco in particular would make sense, but the 29-year-old said earlier this week that he prefers to stay with the Patriots. Younger members of the WR backroom have expressed frustration with their situations, however, including KJ Osborn. The free agent addition has saw his playing time dwindle since the beginning of the season, something that undoubtedly does not sit well.

Osborn, 27, had consistent secondary production from 2021-23 with the Vikings. He only managed a one-year, $4 million deal on the open market, and that deal includes a base salary of just $1.18 million. The NFL Network article notes that Osborn is therefore a more likely trade candidate than Bourne as teams continue to sort out a wideout market that no longer has Davante Adams, Amari Cooper or DeAndre Hopkins. It will be interesting to see how first-year general manager Eliot Wolf and rookie head coach Jerod Mayo handle the Patriots’ trade chips before the Nov. 5 deadline.