If there is one team that needs a trade for an offensive jolt, it is the New England Patriots, especially to help the backfield after Rhamondre Stevenson's Week 3 performance. Two incredibly back-breaking fumbles helped the Pittsburgh Steelers lock down the win and sent Stevenson to the bench. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson was put in the RB1 position but didn't perform much better, opening the door for the Patriots to potentially do business with a division rival.
While the Pats are 1-2, they are in a far sunnier spot than the winless Miami Dolphins and have every reason to believe they can stay in the wildcard race with the right move. Things in Miami have quickly grown dark, with the franchise appearing very close to letting go of the rope under questionable leadership, leaving the Dolphins open to some potential trade deadline deals.
If that's the case, the Patriots should call their AFC East rival regarding star running back De'Von Achane.
Patriots Should Trade for Dolphins RB De'Von Achane
Achane would be the perfect missing piece to the New England offense. The explosive back gives quarterback Drake Maye a consistent outlet from the backfield and takes pressure off the quarterback to carry the offense. Achane is going to create multiple explosive plays per game behind a competent offensive coordinator like Josh McDaniels, opening ways for the Patriots' attack to become more unpredictable.
Achane is the type of dynamic playmaker who New England fans would love to see teamed up with Maye. While you can argue that a receiver might be more impactful for Maye's development, that isn't what the current offense is so clearly lacking. It's also worth noting that Achane has noticeably more total scrimmage yards (2,784) and touchdowns (25) since the start of 2023 than Stevenson (2,051 and 12) despite playing only one more game during that stretch.
Achane also only has two fumbles in that time compared to Stevenson's 10.
You need a run game that inspires at least a bit of fear of an explosive play. Achane is this and more, giving you a capable receiver out of the backfield and a great starting option for the next few seasons. Stevenson should've been jettisoned in the offseason, and Henderson is clearly going to need a bit more time to work his way into the offense.
Trading for Achane would have New England fans feeling far better about the direction of their franchise. The Patriots should at least explore the move and find out if the Dolphins are willing to deal Achane within the division, even if they have to pay a bit more to get the job done.