The NFL trade deadline is officially less than a week away, and the Patriots have already swung one deal.

How many more will they pull off? Let’s answer that question and many more in this week’s mailbag.

@JefFullerMyself
Doug, give an honest first assessment of the trade. I can’t make any sense of it. A 6th and to the NFLs best team?! Uche took so much less money to stay and they kick him to the curb for a can of beans. It seems cold.

I don’t know how Joshua Uche feels about being traded, but if I were him, I’d see this as a golden opportunity to join one of the NFL’s best teams and best defenses and be used to his best ability as a situational pass rusher before hitting free agency again in 2025.

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Bill Belichick mentioned this Monday, but Uche wasn’t getting a ton of pass-rushing opportunities in New England because the Patriots were trailing in most games. So, they couldn’t exactly pin their ears back and get after the passer in any situations other than third and long.

A 2026 sixth-round pick is basically nothing for the Chiefs to give up, as Belichick mentioned. But it at least ensures that the Patriots got something if Uche wasn’t going to return in free agency next offseason anyway. The Patriots are expected to spend money in free agency this offseason, so they won’t be receiving compensatory draft picks.

The thing I understand most is Patriots fans who are upset that the Patriots would help a team whose quarterback is chasing Tom Brady’s Super Bowl wins record. But if other teams were offering future seventh-round picks, and the Cheifs were willing to give up a future sixth, then it simply makes sense to take the best deal.

I’m not going to pretend this was a great deal for the Patriots. Trading Mathew Judon for a third-round pick? That was. But the Patriots got something for a player who they just won a game without anyway.

@Lastchance92
#Patriots #MailDoug I know the Uche trade happened. Do the Patriots continue to be sellers at the trade deadline, are they buyers at the deadline, or are they finished trading?

I would expect them to still be sellers at the trade deadline. I would only expect them to be buyers if they can acquire a player who will help them in the future or provide veteran leadership.

I don’t think this player will be available in a trade, but let’s use Garrett Wilson for example, if only because ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that teams have reached out to the Jets with interest in the Jets wide receiver. Trading for Wilson would make sense for the Patriots. He’s under contract through the 2025 season, and he has a fifth-year option in his contract that can be picked up. He could be a building block.

A player like Davante Adams, DeVante Parker or Cooper Kupp? They wouldn’t make sense. Those are players acquired to only make a team better in the interim.

I’ve seen Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, Davon Godchaux and Jonathan Jones mentioned as potential trade candidates. Bourne told me he wants to stay in New England. Godchaux also said he’d be happy to stay with the Patriots and was shocked to hear his name mentioned.

The Patriots have young wide receivers they can play, so I can understand Bourne and Osborn being floated out there. The Patriots need Godchaux both now and in the future. They don’t have a player who can fill his void in the defense, and trading him would only require the Patriots to find a nose tackle this offseason, so that one I don’t really get. If Jones was moved, the Patriots could play Marco Wilson, Isaiah Bolden, or Alex Austin (once healthy).

@Chosen1Company
Here’s a discussion. Who would you rather be RIGHT NOW. The Giants or the Patriots? Giants have better players at premium positions and HC and Daniel Jones has no fully guaranteed money after this year. But, the Patriots might have something with Drake Maye. What do you think?

Right now, I would rather be the Patriots. I know the Giants have a wide receiver, left tackle, defensive tackle and pass rushers, but the Patriots have a quarterback (and Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore).

@AceandJasper
Why oh why are people so excited? It was 1 win against a really, truly pathetic team. Rein it in, people.

I think most excitement I’ve seen over Sunday’s win has been tempered. I also think people are allowed to be excited about any win this season. They’ve obviously been few and far between. And personally, the last thing I expected the Patriots to do Sunday after Drake Maye left the game was to actually beat the Jets.

But yeah, I think it’s reasonable to still have low expectations for this team.

@23DantheMan7
Over under 5 trades?

Under.

@yungmacedgod
How much do you think can actually be improved on before the next off-season cycle?

A lot. The Patriots enter the 2025 NFL Draft with four Day 1 and 2 draft picks, and they currently have over $130 million in salary cap space.

They also need to spend around $200 million in cash over the next two offseasons to hit the NFL’s cash spending floor.

But in all honesty, this is probably a three-year rebuild for the Patriots. Kyle Shanahan took over the 49ers in 2017 and didn’t have a winning record until 2019. Zac Taylor took over the Bengals in 2019 and didn’t have a winning record until 2021.

But the Patriots have the ability to improve enough to be competitive and not be counted among the NFL’s very worst teams after next offseason. But I look at them as having immediate starting needs at wide receiver, tackle, guard, edge defender and cornerback for 2025. And they need even more depth than that.

It’s a lot of spots to fill even with that much cap space and draft capital. The Patriots’ new front office also obviously needs to hit on good players to improve.