The New England Patriots have won three straight, sit atop the AFC East standings, and have a very favorable next three games before the trade deadline, going against the Titans, Browns, and Falcons. They should be at worst 6-3 when the Nov. 4 trade deadline rolls around. This should make them buyers, and despite their improvement on offense, they could certainly use reinforcements. The Patriots are the 11th-best offense in the NFL through six weeks, but their rushing attack could use some help.
That is what the team executives around the league think as well, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. In his latest piece with Dan Graziano on Wednesday, Fowler says sources around the league think the Patriots are "among teams that could look to add a back in the coming weeks."
Patriots' RB Trade Options Are Plentiful After Latest Report
Some of the names the Fowler and Graziano bring up on the running back trade market are Browns' Jerome Ford, Jets' Breece Hall, Dolphins' Jaylen Wright, Giants' Devin Singletary, and Ravens' Keaton Mitchell.
The Patriots currently have the 26th-most rushing yards in the league and rank 29th in yards per carry with 3.5. The only rusher that is averaging four yards per carry or more is Antonio Gibson, and he landed on the injured reserve last week.
Right now, TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson are the only options New England has in the backfield, and the duo went for a total of 45 yards in 22 carries against the Saints in Week 6. Stevenson's continuing fumble issues and Henderson's inability to gain yards or break tackles make it difficult for the Patriots to trust them. In fact, they rank as the 49th and 50th-best backs out of 51 eligible players in the position per Pro Football Focus.
Fortunately for the Patriots, running backs are generally easier to acquire than most positions mid-season. They are generally devalued, and teams are more willing to move on from their overpaid veterans. The Patriots still have a ton of cap space and should be able to swing for a big trade more than most teams in the league.
The potentially frustrating part of this news, however, is that it could continue to slow Henderson's development. For as much as his performance has fluctuated, it's clear that his playmaking ability is something special. Despite playing only 142 snaps to Stevenson's 217, Henderson is right behind him in rushing yards (148 to Stevenson's 157).
Now that Drake Maye is looking the part of a true franchise quarterback and the Patriots are on their way to a postseason berth, it's time GM Eliot Wolf puts some chips in the middle to fortify this team's weaknesses. The latest ESPN report increases the likelihood of that happening, but who the Patriots' new rusher is going to be remains to be seen.