5 Realistic Patriots Trades at the Deadline

Trade Deatrich Wise, Jr. to a contender

One thing New England has always done well is know when to move on from a player. Bill Belichick has made a habit of trading veterans away before they start to decline. Sure, they might play well for a season or two, but before long, they decline and someone else is stuck with the bill.

New England then takes the draft picks they added and starts to develop the next guy who will eventually replace a veteran.

Looking at the roster in 2023, the prime candidate for this to happen would be defensive end Deatrich Wise, Jr. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder has been with the Patriots since 2017 and has appeared in 102 games with 48 starts. He's never been a superstar but he's a capable starter with 255 tackles and 25.5 sacks — 7.5 of which came in 2022.

As good as he's been, Wise will be 30 next season and is entering the final year of a four-year extension he signed in 2021. New England could save a little against the cap and promote Keion White, who they took in the second round of the draft out of Georgia Tech.

There will surely be a contender out there in need of a defensive end that can set the edge the way Wise can. He's also great at keeping fights from breaking out, which is an added bonus for any interested team.