Raj: Right now, the Patriots should prioritize at OL, DL, and LB because those are some shaky areas on this team right now. They could get Dane Fletcher back from Tampa Bay to add more depth. Speaking of Tampa Bay, should the Patriots feel the need to add another receiver, I don’t see why they can’t trade for Vincent Jackson. He knows he can’t win as a Buccaneer with Glennon/McCown as his QB. I’m sure he would be a lot happier playing with Brady. But that’s not important for the Patriots at the moment. What is important right now is fixing holes at OL, DL, and LB.
Kyle: Provided his knee is healthy, Justin Tuck, now of Oakland, should be the target. With Chandler Jones out for a month, at least, a veteran like Tuck would be a great help. He is in year one of a two year, 11 million dollar contract. Halfway through the season, he’d cost them about 2-3 million. As a situational end on a veteran team, he’d be a great boost.
Rick: I don’t think the Patriots will make a significant trade at the trade deadline. You already saw the trade for Ayers and if Bill Belichick makes another trade, it will likely be on the defensive side of the ball. The popular name everyone wants is Vincent Jackson, but at this point, Brady is already developing more chemistry with some of the receivers that I don’t think it is essential for the team to trade for him. A move for Jackson would send a signal to the fans that the team is all in for 2014, but Belichick looks at the value of keeping those draft picks for the long term. New England needs to keep looking for ways to improve the defense if they want to make a run at yet another Super Bowl.
Derek: My take is that the Patriots’ two biggest needs this season are a down-field receiving threat and another disruptive player on defense. The Larry Fitzgerald rumor that was swirling a few weeks back seems far-fetched, especially considering how well the Cardinals are playing at the moment. Since any receiver below Fitzgerald’s caliber is likely to have difficulty acclimating to the Patriots’ offense in time, I would set my sights on the defense if I was Bill Belichick. The Raiders are going absolutely nowhere and Justin Tuck might be able to terrorize Peyton Manning in the playoffs, the same way he did to Tom Brady in the Super Bowl
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