Breer: Patriots getting calls on Osborn, Thornton before trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The NFL trade deadline is scheduled for Nov. 5, and the New England Patriots already made one notable move on Monday when they sent edge rusher Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.
Could the Patriots make any more moves with a week to go before the deadline?
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston’s Arbella Early Edition on Tuesday night and gave an update on which players are drawing interest from other teams.
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“I’ve heard that they’ve gotten calls and they’re fielding calls on cornerbacks and wide receivers,” Breer said, as seen in the video player above.
“… The names I’ve heard they’ve gotten calls on are actually interesting. It’s K.J. Osborn and it’s Tyquan Thornton. And I think the reason why Thornton has some value to teams is because that sort of speed, you can’t coach it, right? So every coach looks at a guy like that and says, ‘I can do something with him.’
“So if you wanna add some maturity to the room, maybe a player-for-player swap, you trade Tyquan Thornton to the Carolina Panthers for Adam Thielen. Like, that could be something you might be able to look at, right? Maybe you send the Panthers a pick on top of that.
“As for cornerback, they’re obviously not trading Christian Gonzalez. I don’t think they want to trade Jonathan Jones, but I think they’re open for business on everybody else.”
The Thielen scenario is an interesting one. He’s in his 11th pro season — second with the Panthers — and has enjoyed a very productive career. However, he hasn’t played since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.
It’s no secret the Patriots are in a full rebuild. Would Thielen even want to come to New England? Or would a contending team appeal more to him? Thielen is 34 years old and has only played in six career playoff games. He has never won a Super Bowl.
The Patriots have a lot of depth at wide receiver, and turning that into a draft pick or two makes sense if the right deal(s) comes along before the trade deadline.