Breer: Patriots get calls on Osborn, Thornton before trade deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The NFL trade deadline is scheduled for November 5, and the New England Patriots already made a notable move on Monday when they sent edge rusher Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick.

Can the Patriots make any more moves with a week to go before the deadline?

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer joined NBC Sports Boston Arbella early edition on Tuesday night and provided an update on which players are drawing interest from other teams.

🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: Midseason awards and where the Pats add next in rebuild with Steve Palazzolo | Listen and subscribe | Check out YouTube

“I’ve heard they’ve been getting calls and they’re fielding calls on cornerbacks and wide receivers,” Breer said, as seen in the video player above.

“…The names that I’ve heard called are actually interesting. It’s KJ Osborn and it’s Tyquan Thornton. And I think the reason why Thornton has any value to teams is that you go with that kind of speed” I can’t coach him, right? Every coach looks at a guy like that and says, ‘I can do something with him.’

“So if you want to add some maturity to the room, maybe a player-for-player trade, trade Tyquan Thornton to the Carolina Panthers for Adam Thielen. That might be something you might look into, right? Maybe you send the Panthers a pick on top of that.

“As far as cornerback goes, they’re obviously not trading Christian Gonzalez. I don’t think they’re looking to trade Jonathan Jones, but I think they’re open to anyone.”

The Thielen scenario is interesting. He is in his 11th professional season – second with the Panthers – and has had a very productive career. However, he hasn’t played since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.

It’s no secret that the Patriots are in the midst of a complete 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 played just six playoff games in his career. He’s never won a Super Bowl.

The Patriots have a lot of depth at wide receiver, and converting that into a draft pick or two makes sense if the right deal(s) comes before the trade deadline.