When the dust settled from Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the New England Patriots were among many teams who’d done a whole lot of nothing. Despite multiple reports about New England potentially threading the buyer-seller needle, Eliot Wolf and company executed zero moves after trading Joshua Uche the previous week.
“I’m not sure,” Jerod Mayo said Wednesday when asked why the Patriots didn’t make any trades. “For us, it’s about value. It’s about thinking about the present and also about the future.”
It would be easy — and perhaps fair — to pile on the 2-7 Patriots for not picking a lane. However, any conversation about New England’s trade deadline performance must include the home-run move executed a few months ago.
Did the Patriots Win the Matthew Judon Trade?
In mid-August, Matthew Judon’s bizarre contract drama ended when the Patriots sent the star edge rusher to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the time, the Patriots faced criticism for further weakening a defense expected to be without star defensive tackle Christian Barmore (blood clots) for most of the 2024 season. Judon also was one of the few players who added star power to New England’s roster.
The story of the Judon trade still is being written. But at this point, it looks like the Patriots scored a major victory.
Between the start of camp and Tuesday’s deadline, four players were traded for packages, including third-round picks, but nothing higher.
- Patriots trade Matthew Judon to Falcons for 2025 third-round pick.
- Cleveland Browns trade Amari Cooper and 2025 sixth-round pick to Buffalo Bills for 2025 third-round pick and 2026 seventh-round pick.
- Las Vegas Raiders trade Davante Adams to New York Jets for conditional 2025 third-round pick.
- New Orleans Saints trade Marshon Lattimore and 2025 fifth-round pick to Washington Commanders for 2025 third-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks.
You could argue the Patriots made out better than the other three teams who traded star players.
From a compensation standpoint, Cooper and Lattimore both had picks attached to them in their deals. As for the Adams trade, the third-round pick will become a second-rounder if Adams becomes a First- or Second-Team All-Pro this season or is on the active roster if the Jets make it to the AFC Championship. All three scenarios seem unlikely to come to fruition.
But trade value is as much about what you give up as what you receive. And the Patriots likely aren’t having any second guesses about moving on from the 32-year-old Judon, who’s been a non-factor with the Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons have struggled rushing the passer, despite the moves they made in the offseason (trading for Matthew Judon and signing safety Justin Simmons). GM Terry Fontenot knows they need help. So it’s no surprise they are exploring options, and I expect them to make a…
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) November 2, 2024
Judon looked like his old self in Weeks 1 and 2 when he posted a combined 1.5 sacks, 12 tackles, two QB hits, and two tackles for a loss. But in the following seven games, Judon posted zero sacks, zero tackles for a loss, one QB hit, and 15 tackles.
In Week 9’s win over the Dallas Cowboys, Judon saw a season-low 52% of the defensive snaps. He saw a lower snap-count rate in just one game during this three-year run with the Patriots, and that was when he was rested in a blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021.
In fact, since the start of Judon’s sophomore campaign in 2017, he’s seen a snap-count rate of 52% or lower just three times, including last Sunday.
Of course, box-score stats and playing time only tell part of the story. The advanced metrics paint a similar picture of a declining player.
Judon currently ranks 109th among all edge rushers by Pro Football Focus; his career-worst rankings are 66th in 2021 and 79th in 2016. His 46.8 overall PFF defense grade is the worst of his career.
Judon currently is tied for 100th among all defenders with 13 total QB pressures, per TruMedia. His stunningly low 6.8% pressure rate ranks 171st.
None of this is to say that Judon is washed up. And the Patriots, who rank 23rd with a 29.6% pressure rate and 29th with just 16 sacks, probably would be better with Judon on the roster, although he might struggle to play over Keion White or Anfernee Jennings.
Nevertheless, barring a significant turnaround, Judon’s days as a premier pass rusher appear to be over. The Falcons likely have buyer’s remorse, while Wolf and the Patriots have zero regrets.
What Patriots Were Trade Candidates Before Deadline?
A slew of Patriots veterans were floated in trade rumors ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
“Patriots have told teams they are open for business,” Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi reported after the Oct. 28 Uche trade. “League sources expect them to peel off another vet or two before the Nov. 5 deadline.”
Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton, Davon Godchaux, Jonathan Jones, and Kyle Dugger all were mentioned. In the end, all stayed in New England.
The Patriots reportedly even received calls on star sophomore cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who laughed off the rumors before Wednesday’s practice.
“Nah, I knew I was gonna be here — I’m good,” he said after Pro Football Network asked him about the trade chatter.
Christian Gonzalez on whether he had any uncertainty about his Patriots future after his name popped up in trade rumors:
"Nah, I knew I was gonna be here. I'm good."
Said it was "above" him when asked whether he had any conversation with Jerod Mayo about the rumors. pic.twitter.com/Spz1LDD8rn
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) November 6, 2024
Bourne, who reportedly generated significant interest, was relieved to put the deadline behind him.
“It feels good that I’m here and this is where they want me,” he said on Wednesday. ” … Now I can really focus. You’re always focused, but for (the deadline) to be gone, it feels good.”
So, why didn’t the Patriots pull the trigger on any deals?
From insider Josina Anderson: “It takes two sides to make a deal & the Patriots aren’t going to give away players like Christian Gonzalez, Keion White, Davon Godcheaux or Kyle Dugger who teams have been asking for, per source.”
From The Athletic’s Jeff Howe: “The Patriots have told teams they’re open for business with a handful of veterans, particularly those on expiring contracts, per sources. The question is how much of a reset is worth it when they’re trying to establish momentum for 2025 when those vets will only net late picks.”
Ultimately, the Patriots decided the negatives outweighed the positives for proposed trades. We’ll see if they were right.
What Are New England’s Picks in the 2025 NFL Draft?
With the Patriots unable to make additional trades before the end of the season, let’s look at their current list of picks for the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 3 (from ATL)
- Round 4
- Round 5
- Round 7
- Round 7 (from LAC)
- Round 7 (from TEN)
Given their many needs, the Patriots could keep all their picks and try to plug roster holes with top prospects. However, they’ll also have plenty of ammunition to move back into Round 1 for a receiver or tackle, or perhaps a front-seven player.