The release of tight end Ben Watson has fueled speculations that the New England Patriots will work on a trade for a veteran wide receiver who will help boost their depth chart before the Oct. 29 trade deadline. Among the names being floated are Stefon Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings, A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Emmanuel Sanders of the Denver Broncos. The decision to part ways with Watson gave the Patriots an additional $2 million in the salary cap, giving them enough breathing space if they decide to trade for a wide receiver before the deadline.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that the Patriots are one of the most active teams when it comes to trade talks ahead of the deadline. Based on his sources, La Canfora said the Patriots are pursuing Green and tight end Tyler Eifert of the Bengals. While fans are waiting for the Patriots’ next move with bated breaths, head coach Bill Belichick said he’s focused on their Week 6 clash with the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on Thursday rather than spend his time discussing the upcoming trade deadline. “Right now we’re getting ready for the Giants," Belichick said in an interview with Ordway, Merloni & Fauria on Monday, saying the Patriots need to focus on New York because of the short turnaround from their 33-7 road win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.
Belichick says Caserio on top of the situation
Belichick said Nick Caserio, the Patriots’ director of player personnel, and his team is on top of the situation and constantly evaluating players throughout the league. The veteran head coach emphasized that many players are placed on the waiver wire or released every day throughout the team must keep track of.
When it comes to trade possibilities for the Patriots, Belichick described it as unpredictable because each situation is different. “Each situation is different — who calls who and who is available and what it is and all that,” said Belichick, calling it a very individual and case-by-case situation. Belichick explained that transactions could happen the day or weeks before the deadline.
“There’s no way to know that,” said Belichick. The Patriots recently surprised the league when they signed veteran wideout Antonio Brown hours after the Oakland Raiders released him. However, things did not go as expected as the Patriots cut Brown 11 days after signing him to a one-year deal worth $15 million due to his legal troubles.
Patriots work out three players, including a kicker
The Patriots already have a kicker on their 53-man roster in Mike Nugent and one on the practice squad in the person of Younghoe Koo, that didn’t prevent them from working out another kicker on Tuesday. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots brought in 25-year-old free agent Nick Rose for a workout. Despite his young age, Rose has already worked for six different NFL squads.
He played eight games for the Washington Redskins and two for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 before suiting up for the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football, which recently folded. Reiss added that the Patriots also worked out defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes and defensive back Brian Allen.
