NFL Trade Rumors: Patriots Have ‘Gotten Calls’ On These Players
Joshua Uche might not be the only player moved by the Patriots before this season’s NFL trade deadline.
Appearing on NBC Sports Boston’s “Arbella Early Edition” on Tuesday night, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shed light on the inquiries New England is fielding as the Nov. 5 deadline fast approaches.
“… The names I’ve heard they’ve gotten calls on are actually interesting. It’s K.J. Osborn and it’s Tyquan Thornton,” Breer said, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. “And I think the reason why Thornton has some value to teams is because that sort of speed, you can’t coach it, right? So every coach looks at a guy like that and says, ‘I can do something with him.'”
Both players make sense as potential trade candidates for the Patriots. Osborn is on an expiring contract and doesn’t seem very happy about his role in Foxboro, Mass. The fourth-year pro also was a pretty effective player across his three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, so a contender could view him as a quality depth piece for the second half.
Thornton, meanwhile, might be a textbook “change of scenery” candidate. The 24-year-old hasn’t lived up to expectations since the Patriots drafted him 50th overall in 2022, but another team could be intrigued by his skill set. If a club has good situations at both quarterback and offensive coaching, Thornton could be a worthwhile reclamation project.
Of course, New England needs to make sure its wide receiver group isn’t completely derailed while it explores potential trades for Osborn and Thornton. Those two potentially could be replaced by newcomers, as the Patriots reportedly could “potentially add” to the position group by next week.