The Patriots scratched veteran pass rusher Joshua Uche ahead of Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets.
It was a somewhat surprising roster tweak, given New England’s struggles as of late with generating pressure against opposing quarterbacks.
But with the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 5, New England reportedly might be protecting an appealing asset in search of draft capital.
According to MassLive’s Karen Guregian, the Patriots are dangling Uche in trade talks in hopes of landing a fifth-round pick. Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz added on Sunday morning that the 26-year-old linebacker has “been a focal point in trade talks around the NFL”, noting that Uche’s contract “is very appealing to contending teams.