Rumors and healthy scratches confirm Patriots LB likely to be traded

The 2024 trade deadline is right around the corner on November 5th and since the Patriots are anything but a winning team, they are considered a selling team. While they don't have a lot of desirable talent on the roster, there are still a handful of players who are likely to draw interest from teams looking for talent, with one of the leading names being linebacker Joshua Uche.

He was the subject of trades last year and was reportedly close to being dealt to the Lions in 2023 before a deal failed to be completed. That led many to believe he would leave in free agency this past offseason, but the new regime re-signed him to a one-year deal through the 2024 season.

It was believed to be a proof-of-concept deal considering how precipitous his career has been since being signed by the Patriots in 2020.

His performance was largely forgotten in his first two seasons, but he broke out in 2022, posting his best year in his career with 27 combined tackles, 11.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. It seemed like New England had finally found its second star pass rusher in Matthew Judon, but Uche was unable to repeat that performance the following season.

Working closely with linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, he was instrumental in giving Uche another chance this year to prove he could be the player the defense needed. He was a prime candidate to mitigate the loss of Matthew Judon after the Patriots traded him to the Falcons, but his performance dipped and playing time decreased significantly in the first seven weeks.

This all came to a head at the start of Week 8, when the Patriots officially gave him a good lead against the Jets as trade rumors heated up before the deadline.

According to the latest reports from various sources, the Patriots hope to trade Uche next week and receive at least a fifth-round pick in return. While it's just a rumor at the moment, the fact that he's not suiting up for Sunday's game while the chatter continues in the background seems more likely to confirm that the rumors are true.

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