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Buyers or Sellers? 3 Positions New England Must Target Before the Trade Deadline
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- Buyers or Sellers? 3 Positions New England Must Target Before the Trade Deadline
Through eight weeks, the New England Patriots sit at 5-3 within striking distance of the AFC East and AFC Conference-leading 6-1 Buffalo Bills . What makes their record even more impressive is that injuries have hit all three phases of the team, with 14 players spending time on IR.
With this laundry list of injuries, New England's depth has been tested, and while the team's backups have played admirably this season, with sights on another deep playoff run, the front office needs to address some of its positions of need with veteran players.
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Tight End
How the tables have turned. Before New England's game against the Dolphins, tight end was a position of strength with Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon creating a formidable duo for quarterback Drake Maye.
Now that Hunter Henry suffered a foot injury, from which he did not return, and Raridon was only able to produce one reception for five yards in the game, New England is left with a thin depth chart, with Cameron Latu and Tanner Arkin (zeros filling the box score) rounding out the position.
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Drake Maye is playing at his best when he can utilize his tight ends as blockers and in the passing game. If Henry's injury is long-term, some potential trade targets could be Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert and Raiders tight end Michael Mayer .
Nose Tackle
After losing Khyiris Tonga in free agency to the Chiefs , New England opted to replace his run-stuffing abilities with in-house option Cory Durden. While Durden put on a career game against the Dolphins with 4 tackles and 1.5 sacks, he and the rest of the Patriots' defensive line have been vulnerable in the run game.
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If New England wants to turn its run defense into one of the league's best groups, the dream target would be Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea , who is under contract through the 2027 season, and with the Patriots rumored to be listening to offers on defensive lineman Christian Barmore, who is signed through the 2028 season, maybe there is a potential swap there.
Offensive Guard
New England needs help in the trenches on both sides of the ball, which is why the offensive guard position is another position of need for the team.
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With both starting guards, Mike Onwenu and Alijah Vera-Tucker, and backup Greg Van Roten all on IR, the Patriots have had to rely on the likes of third- and fourth-string options Ben Brown, Walter Rouse, and Matt Pryor to help keep Drake Maye upright.
If New England addresses some of these positions of need before next Tuesday's trade deadline, they will be a more talented and deeper team that is once again primed for a deep playoff run this season.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
