The New England Patriots need better production at wide receiver and tight end, and could the answer to one or both of these positions be found on the Cincinnati Bengals roster?
The Bengals are 0-4 and likely headed for a rebuild/retool. Some of their veteran players, including wide receiver A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert, could be enticing targets for contending teams ahead of the trade deadline.
How do the Patriots factor into the mix? Here's what CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Sunday morning:
The Patriots have issues at the offensive line, tight end and receiver, and are expected to push for players like Bengals receiver A.J. Green and/or tight end Tyler Eifert; those players also appeal to the Saints, sources said, who made a real effort to land Denver's Emmanuel Sanders a year ago and likely would again.
Green and Eifert are both in the final year of their respective contracts, so there would be no financial risk to New England beyond this season. However, each of these players have battled injuries of late, so that risk is present for the Patriots.
LaCanfora also listed the Patriots among the teams "most active" ahead of the trade deadline, which is set for Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. ET. One player LaCanfora did not link to the Patriots is Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Our own Tom E. Curran reported earlier this week that Minnesota has "no plans" to trade Diggs.
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The Patriots are a bit thin at wide receiver with Antonio Brown gone, rookie wideouts Jakobi Meyers and N'Keal Harry either injured or not contributing, and veterans Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon getting a bit banged up over the first four weeks of the season.
New England is 4-0, but its offense has scored only 19 points over the last six quarters of action. The Patriots scored only one offensive touchdown in their 16-10 Week 4 road win over the Buffalo Bills. The team's rushing attack, led by second-year running back Sony Michel, also has struggled to find any consistent success.
Acquiring a player of Green's or Eifert's caliber would be a nice upgrade for the Patriots offense, but according to this report, it sounds like they'll have plenty of competition for the top targets available.
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