The New England Patriots leave Week 5 with a 1-4 record, and Jerod Mayo’s club could look to trade talented veterans like edge defender Josh Uche. A second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Uche spent the first few years of his career in a backup role under then-head coach Bill Belichick. This isn’t unusual, as Belichick preferred to play veterans over untested rookies whenever possible.
Uche finally earned his chance in 2022, appearing in 15 games while recording 11.5 sacks. He followed that up with a relatively underwhelming three-sack season in 2023 and signed a one-year deal with New England a few months back. Josh Uche is not the best run defender in the world and the trade candidate probably won’t ever be an ideal three-down starter, but teams are always looking for ways to bolster their pass rusher. Assuming he won’t cost anything more than a late Day 3 pick, the Carolina Panthers or Kansas City Chiefs could make a move for the veteran.
Chiefs, Panthers Could Pursue Josh Uche Trade
The Carolina Panthers are not contenders, so it might be surprising to see them try and trade for Josh Uche. However, a deeper dive shows that Carolina has every reason to try and improve their ability to get after the quarterback. Panthers starter Andy Dalton had a rough go of it against the Chicago Bears, but his overall performance shows that the Panthers have a foundation in place for the future of their offense. The same cannot be said of the defense, as the unit ranks at or near the bottom of every major category in the NFL.
A Josh Uche trade wouldn’t fix every issue with this team, but it’s a good step in the right direction. The Panthers needed another pass rusher even before they sent Brian Burns to the New York Giants. Without him, Carolina doesn’t have a consistent way to get after the quarterback. Free agent signee Jadeveon Clowney has just one sack on the season, and Uche could provide some much-needed pressure on passing downs. Additionally, trading for him now will let Carolina get a close view and see if he deserves a long-term extension.
More Defensive Reinforcements
The Kansas City Chiefs are not as good as their 4-0 record would imply. While you never want to bet against a team led by Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, the offense won’t be its usual unstoppable self without speedster Marquise Brown and the injured Rashee Rice. The defense will have more on their plate in 2024, which is bad news when you consider the current state of the pass rush. Chris Jones remains his reliable self, but Kansas City’s edge defenders could benefit from a Josh Uche trade.
George Karlaftis is a reliable yet unremarkable starter who is playing exactly as well as should be expected. Former first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah, however, has yet to realize his promise. With veteran Mike Danna nothing more than a depth piece, the Chiefs could trade for Josh Uche so they have someone capable of getting past offensive tackles. The Chiefs secondary isn’t as good without L’Jarius Sneed, so the pass rush must lead this defense if the Chiefs hope to win their third title in as many seasons.
Main Photo: Mark Konezny – USA Today Sports
