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The New England Patriots might be active around the NFL Trade deadline, which is set for November 2 at 4pm ET. Around that time–or before–teams should know if they’re going to be buyers and sellers. The Patriots should be buyers and the Cleveland Browns should be sellers.
Because they’re on opposite ends of the spectrum, they could make solid trade partners.
The buyers are teams that feel they can drastically improve their chances of contention with one or two moves. The sellers are the organizations who, for one reason or another, don’t believe they have a great chance to win this season.
There is great value in a franchise knowing where they stand. The ones that get caught in the middle usually squander an opportunity to greatly improve their chances while they’re competitors shore up weak areas, or on the flipside, are too delusional to cut ties with valuable players whose prime doesn’t match the team’s realistic window for winning.
Odell Beckham Jr’s name has been thrown into speculation with the Patriots in the past, and with the deadline approaching, it’s happening again. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox called the Patriots a “buy” team and the Browns a “sell” team. He didn’t propose a specific trade between the two squads, but there are breadcrumbs suggesting a deal.
This proposed trade would help both teams:
- Patriots Get: WR Odell Beckham Jr.
- Browns Get: WR N’Keal Harry and Fifth-Round Pick
In this scenario, Harry gets a fresh start and the Patriots get a more proven and dynamic, unquestioned No. 1 receiver. The Browns get a young WR who still has some upside and late-round pick that they can use to add value.
Why the Browns Should Be Sellers?
The Browns are 4-3 and still in a position to go to the postseason. However, injuries have ripped through the offense and even quarterback Baker Mayfield may need to shut down for the remainder of the season while he deals with a torn labrum and fractured humerus in his left shoulder.
Mayfield is tough as nails and seems to be willing to play through it, but the truth is, he should probably be shut down for the season.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox seemingly agrees. He wrote:
The banged-up Browns showed Thursday that they can navigate injuries and still win games, but they’re looking like the No. 3 team in the AFC North at best. Trading a player like linebacker Mack Wilson or struggling wideout Odell Beckham Jr. should be firmly on the table as Cleveland looks to survive the season and likely reload in 2022.
If trading OBJ is a thing, the Patriots should be interested.
Why the Patriots Should Be Buyers?
The Patriots are a better team than their 3-4 record indicates. A win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday might further prove that to people who think otherwise. In any case, the team still has a need for a playmaker on offense who can open things up for other receivers while also being a threat himself.
Knox likes the idea of the Patriots going after OBJ or bringing back Brandin Cooks. Knox added:
With a promising young quarterback in Mac Jones and the league’s sixth-ranked scoring defense, the Patriots have the potential to make a late playoff push. New England went on a spending spree in free agency, and it should again be looking to buy now. The Patriots are the second-best team in the AFC East, and they still have a chance to push the 4-2 Bills for the division. Adding a receiver would make the most sense here, and guys like Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandin Cooks should be on New England’s radar. While Jones has shown solid growth under center, he lacks a No. 1 target. Jakobi Meyers leads the Patriots in receptions (41) and receiving yards (390), but he’s averaged just 9.5 yards per catch and has yet to find the end zone.
If the Patriots move to 4-4 with a win over the Chargers and follow that up with a major splash like the ones suggested here, the arrow will be pointing way up for New England.
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