4 sec ago.,.,The NFL 2021-22 trade deadline is next Tuesday, Nov. 2, and this has been an area where the Patriots have historically been quite busy. Over the years, New England has made seismic moves around the deadline, including shipping away Jimmy Garoppolo
and Jamie Collins while also making moves to acquire players like Kyle Van Noy and (to a lesser impact) Mohamed Sanu. The Patriots have already been active on the trade market this season, sending former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers a few weeks ago, so they are certainly not shy about wheeling and dealing.
Below, we’ve identified three players Bill Belichick should be keeping an eye on as we get closer to the deadline and should pull the trigger on a trade if they truly become available.
Kyle Fuller, CB, Broncos
The cornerback position in New England is likely the unit that needs an injection of talent the most. After trading away Gilmore and Jonathan Jones suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, the Patriots could use depth behind the likes J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills, and Joejuan Williams. One popular name around Foxborough — as recently suggested by NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry — could be Broncos corner Kyle Fuller. He’s in the midst of a bad season in Denver after he signed a one-year deal with the club this past offseason. It’s even gotten to the point where the team has benched Fuller in recent weeks.
While there’s certainly some risk taking on a player who hasn’t performed well, Fuller would not be an expensive piece to acquire, and a change of scenery could help him turn his season around. He has starting experience and, again, would be a much-needed depth piece to this unit.
The Patriots did sign veteran corner Brian Poole to the practice squad recently, so they may not be looking to make a huge splash, but Fuller certainly seems like someone who could become available at the deadline if they wanted to pursue it.
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Andy Isabella, WR, Cardinals
The Patriots are starting to see some returns on their offseason addition in Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, but they could still use some speed at the receiver position. Arizona’s Andy Isabella and his 4.31 speed would be a fascinating addition to this position, not just for the 2021 season, but possibly beyond that. The Cardinals are loaded at the receiver position, so the former second-round pick has been unable to see the field much this season, only being active for two games. That said, he has shown flashes of being a quality pass catcher, totaling 224 yards receiving and two touchdowns on 21 catches in 13 games played last season (34% of the offensive snaps played).
The former UMass product is under team control through the 2023 season, so this is a piece New England could look to build with as Mac Jones continues to develop.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Texans
The Patriots have never been afraid to go back to the well on a player, so it’s not out of the question to think that Brandin Cooks could once again find himself back in New England. The team is looking for a clear No. 1 receiver and Cooks could be that missing piece to make the Patriots offense more complete around Jones. The veteran also seems like he’s not exactly thrilled with his current team in the Houston Texans, especially after the trade of Mark Ingram when he took to social media with an NSFW reaction to the news.
Cooks spent the 2017 season with the Patriots and caught 65 passes for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns. With that history, one would think that the 28-year-old wouldn’t need much time to get in tune with the offense that Josh McDaniels still runs.
The receiver also wouldn’t be a financial burden on any team that acquires him in a potential trade, either, as he’s due just $1.5 million for the rest of the season.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Oct. 31 | Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Chargers -4.5, O/U 49.5
Homecoming for Hunter Henry in L.A.
Hunter Henry will be making his return to Los Angeles and will play the Chargers for the first time since leaving the organization this offseason to join the Patriots on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Henry spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Chargers after the club took him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
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