Dropping to 2-6 puts Patriots in the spotlight ahead of NFL trade deadline

Head coach Bill Belichick spoke about moving on to the next week following his New England Patriots’ 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. However, the next few days will be different than your standard regular season week: the NFL trade deadline is coming up on Tuesday.

While there is no indication about the direction the team will go in, it will be in the spotlight given its 2-6 record. On the one hand, there is a definitive need for short-term improvement; on the other hand, taking a close look beyond the current season and the talent and capital available might be in store as well.

Regardless of what Belichick and company will do — if they do anything at all — the players in the locker room do not appear to be worried about the coming days.

“I don’t pay attention to it,” said tight end Hunter Henry after the loss in Miami.

In the final year of his contract, Henry has been the subject of trade speculation for a while now. He is not the only player in that position: edge defender Josh Uche, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, safety Adrian Phillips, and offensive lineman Michael Onwenu are also all seen as potential candidates to be moved should the Patriots decide to enter “sale” mode.

But even if they do, any and all moves will be taken in stride by the team and its players as noted by center David Andrews.

“I didn’t know I was the GM,” he said when asked his opinion on the Patriots and the upcoming deadline. “I’m a player, my job is to go out there and play football and that’s what I’m going to do every day.”

The Patriots did already make one in-season trade this year when they brought back cornerback J.C. Jackson from the Los Angeles Chargers. As for any follow-ups, only the Belichick-led front office knows which route it might take.

Teams have until Tuesday 4 p.m. ET to make moves, and the Patriots’ might tell us quite a bit about how they views themself at 2-6.