What Were the New England Patriots Willing to Trade at the Deadline?

The New England Patriots, like every other team in the league, did absolutely nothing at the trade deadline. While this is the fault of the NFL and their unusually early deadline, it didn't mean that the Patriots were sitting on their hands. They were actively dialing their counterparts around the league, trying to make something happen.

Not every team wants to change. Not every team thinks they're out of the playoff race. Not every team is looking towards next season. Not every team wants to trade (and probably lose) with Bill Belichick.

That's okay. The Patriots have five players on the squad that are the result of trades this season: tight end Michael Williams (Lions), wide receiver Keshawn Martin (Texans), linebacker Jonathan Bostic (Bears), defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (Saints), and practice squad tight end Asante Cleveland (49ers). That's a productive trade campaign.

But if a trade were to take place, what were the Patriots willing to offer? In order to upgrade the roster, New England would have to be willing to give up capital of their own. Based on the scuttlebutt from around the league, we have an idea of what the Patriots were okay with moving, and what they weren't willing to give away.

The Patriots don't have a 2016 first round pick, so right off the bat the team was out of the sweepstakes for Browns tackle Joe Thomas. The team was also unwilling to part with their 2016 2nd round pick, which is their first selection in the draft.

While Thomas wasn't a possibility, the team was interested in former 6th overall pick edge defender Barkevious Mingo, who the Browns wanted a 3rd round pick in exchange. The Patriots thought that was too expensive.

Another rumor from the deadline was the team's interest in Titans cornerback Jason McCourty. While the trade never came to fruition, multiple sources and reporters have confirmed there was an attempt from the Patriots to make the deal happen. 98.5's James Stewart, who was at the heart of the report, noted that the Patriots were trying to work with adjusting McCourty's contract and proposed a 4th and 6th as the compensation for the Titans.

Whether it was the turmoil of the Titans coaching change, or some hold-up with the contract negotiation, the trade fell through. But it is evident that the Patriots were okay with parting with their Day Three draft picks in exchange for an immediate starter.

There was no real smoke around any offensive tackles being moved, other than Thomas, and teams are really trying to hold on to quality offensive linemen.

Additionally, there were absolutely zero reports about Jerod Mayo being a possible trade option and it's difficult to go down the roster to find a player that the team would consider moving.

The only player that might be enticing (and this is only speculation) is defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, who has fallen behind rookie Malcom Brown on the depth chart, but the team has shown a desire to keep their healthy rotation at defensive tackle.

Ultimately, the team was willing to part with their day three draft picks to marginally improve their pass rusher or cornerback situation. It didn't happen.