We are officially less than three weeks away from the New England Patriots season opener on September 12th against the Miami Dolphins. That means the last phase of the offseason, the training camp/preseason phase, is nearly over, which in turn means the roster will have to be trimmed down to 53 players by August 31st.
The Patriots have looked fantastic throughout preseason, which is only going to make this process more difficult. After outlasting the Washington Football Team in their first contest, they demolished the Philadelphia Eagles in their second game. It is admittedly just the preseason, but the results are still encouraging nonetheless.
This is a sign of not only good players, but good competition. That in turn makes it difficult to part ways with some players who have stood out in their limited game action. That is the nature of the business though, and with another cut day tomorrow on the 24th, it will be interesting to see if any big names won’t make it to the final preseason game against the New York Giants.
As the roster crunch continues to draw near, one possible avenue to clear up some room would be through the trade market. New England certainly has a couple of players who may not end up having a role on their team, but could be a helpful contributor for another team. Here are three potential trade candidates on the Patriots roster that could be moved before the start of the season.
New England Patriots trade candidate No. 3: Chase Winovich
Much has been made about Chase Winovich‘s situation throughout New England’s training camp. It’s felt like this could be a make-or-break season for the energetic pass rusher, that is if he even ends up on the roster.
After finding himself in head coach Bill Belichick‘s doghouse on multiple occasions last season, and then missing a good portion of training camp, it’s fair to wonder whether or not there will be a roster spot available for Winovich. There’s certainly been some competition at the edge rusher spot, and with guys like Matthew Judon and Kyle Van Noy being brought into the fold, Winovich may end up getting boxed out when all is said and done.
Rather than cutting ties with the young pass rusher, the Patriots could look to trade him to another team that may need an influx of youth on their d-line. Winovich had a pretty solid game against the Eagles, as he picked up two sacks as well as another tackle for a loss. Yet he continued to make foolish plays, such as an early roughing the passer on Joe Flacco for a hit well after he released the ball, that continue to hold him back.
Winovich clearly has the potential to develop into a top tier pass rusher in the NFL, but his lack of consistency has hurt his chances of making the roster. He’s had five and a half sacks in both his NFL seasons so far, which may show consistency to some, but really should be viewed as a missed opportunity last season. Winovich was presented with an increased role, but failed to improve upon his rookie season.
If the coaching staff ultimately determines there may not be a spot for Winovich on the roster, they would to wise to try to move him while they can. He’s clearly shown an ability to get to the quarterback, but he needs to improve on his consistency if he’s ever going to find a starting role. Only time will tell whether he gets that chance to improve with New England.
New England Patriots trade candidate No. 2: Sony Michel
The New England Patriots have arguably one of the deepest running back rooms in the NFL. They probably have four or five guys who could be starting on their roster, and it’s beginning to seem increasingly unlikely that they are just going to cut one of these guys without getting anything in return.
Ever since Damien Harris emerged last season as the Patriots top option, fans have wondered what this means for Sony Michel‘s future with the team. The former first round pick from Georgia was absolutely vital to the Pats most recent Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams, but has struggled to stay on the field recently, and has seemingly lost the top spot in the rotation to Harris.
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Despite this, Michel has continued to see just as much opportunity as Harris, and he vastly outperformed him during the recent blowout over the Eagles. He was even able to make his mark in the passing game, which had been one of his biggest weaknesses throughout his first two seasons. It’s clear he can play, the question is whether or not New England has a spot for him on their roster.
Harris and recent fourth round pick Rhamondre Stevenson are locks at this point, and after it initially seemed like James White may have a difficult time cracking the roster, his spot should be secure at this point too. J.J. Taylor is the most likely candidate to be cut, but anytime he has been given an opportunity to play, he has been phenomenal.
The Patriots could conceivably risk cutting Taylor and sneaking him onto their practice squad, but it seems extremely unlikely he would fall through the cracks. They could conceivably try to trade him as well, but they would net a better return by moving Michel. Michel has proven to be a successful NFL running back when healthy, while Taylor has only shown as much in preseason action.
Something’s got to give in the Patriots crowded running back room, and rather than being forced into making a tough cut at the end of the month, they should look to make a move while they can to help free up some space on the roster. Trading Michel to a running back needy team would be the perfect option to do just that.
New England Patriots trade candidate No. 1: Stephon Gilmore
Until his contract dispute with the team gets solved, Stephon Gilmore is going to continue to be New England’s top trade candidate. Even though he is unhappy with his contract, Gilmore has continued to remain around the team, but he still sits on the team’s physically unable to perform list, which is why he hasn’t seen the field yet.
To recap, Gilmore has let the team know he is looking for a raise early in the offseason, and the team has yet to resolve the issue. It seems like this issue should have been solved a few months ago, but with the regular season on the horizon, there’s still no indication of how this is going to play out.
The thing with Gilmore is that he could potentially land the Pats a star in return if he were to be traded. Guys like Winovich or Michel may land a pick or two, but Gilmore’s return would surely be much more enticing in New England ultimately decides to deal him. There are a number of unhappy superstars that New England could look to move for by using Gilmore as the centerpiece of their trade package.
The problem is New England would lose a de facto number one cornerback, although they did manage to get by without him for nearly half the season last year. J.C. Jackson has proven to be a solid cornerback in his own right, and Jonathan Jones is one of the best slot corners in the game, but after that there isn’t much. Jason McCourty is gone, and Jalen Mills has struggled at times throughout camp while also seeing time at safety.
The secondary for New England is strong, but it may need Gilmore in order to be successful this season. Gilmore certainly regressed a bit from his 2019 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, but he still is easily one of the top five cornerbacks in the game. Unless New England intends on paying him like one, they should look to move him and potentially address another need on their roster in the process.