The general consensus is that the New England Patriots will be main sellers before the NFL trade deadline, and given that they’re 2-6 heading into Week 9, it’s completely understandable why that’s the case.

But could the Patriots actually shock the world and head in a different direction before Tuesday?

Maybe.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that New England could actually look to purchase some pieces before the deadline in order to get a head start on 2025.

“Could the Patriots…buy? They could. Similar to what the Bears did last year, New England could take advantage of the trade deadline to bolster their young talent base and launch a free agency sooner,” Rapoport wrote. “They have already put several players on the market and while most think they will sell (which is possible), they could also buy in the right situation from a player who would be part of the future of the Patriots.”

We have already heard that New England is looking for help on the offensive lineso it also stands to reason that the Pats could aim to strengthen other areas of need, such as wide receiver.

The Patriots have holes on the roster. That includes the defensive side of the ball, where they have slipped significantly this season.

Of course, New England will surely choose its locations carefully. If the Pats shop, it will be for young players under team control for the foreseeable future. The chances of the Patriots attempting to trade players in the final year of their contracts appear slim to none.

New England already has makes a gesturetrading Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs.

We’ll see what else the Pats have in store over the next few days.

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