The NFL Trade Deadline has come and gone and the Patriots did not make a trade for the third straight year. 

The Patriots have several unrestricted free agents that could have moved but are staying. Safety Kyle Dugger, guard/tackle Mike Onwenu, EDGE, Josh Uche, running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive tackle Trent Brown, safety Jalen Mills and tight ends Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry are on expiring contracts but none of them were dealt. It begs the question. Were teams interested in acquiring any of them?

At 2-6, the Patriots are not in contention for a playoff spot so keeping any of the pending unrestricted free agents does not really make sense but if the right offer did not come along, the Patriots weren’t just going to give them away. 

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Patriots “listened” to offers for Dugger, Uche and Ownenu but ultimately decided to hold onto them. Many believe that the organization would like to sign all three to extensions. 

Patriots fans were expecting a deal but ultimately, Bill Belichick couldn’t pull the trigger on one. Now the Patriots are moving on with the current roster in place and Belichick will face continued scrutiny for not making a deal.

Obviously we do not know which teams the Patriots spoke to and how close they were to making a deal, but they missed an opportunity to add future draft compensation. A move they may regret depending on how they finish.