With the NFL trade deadline approaching (November 4), football fans in New England are wondering what the Patriots are going to do. Some people might view the upcoming deadline as a crucial opportunity for the 5-2 Pats to double down on their current success and go for it all in 2025. According to NFL reporter Albert Breer, though, the more likely strategy in New England’s front office will be one of prudence, keeping a priority on the long-term while avoiding any bold moves that would sacrifice valuable assets for a short-term fix. That being said, Breer did mention four specific names the Patriots could theoretically target. “My understanding is that (the Patriots’) approach is going to be to take a long-term view of this whole thing, and I think you have to put (trade ideas) in two buckets … short-term versus long-term,” Breer said. Story continues below advertisement “I think if there is a short-term buy here for them, it’s going to be more of a depth piece. We’ve talked about running back. Maybe it’s a Zamir White from Vegas who Josh McDaniels worked with. Maybe it’s somebody down the depth chart in Tennessee. Maybe it’s Jaylen Wright in Miami, if the Dolphins were willing to trade in division.” “Then you get to the long-term bucket, and this is where I think you’d be looking at guys that might mirror the opportunity (the Patriots) were looking at a year ago with Brandon Aiyuk, where you could bring in a guy who’s gonna help you now and also be a building block for you going forward,” Breer continued. “So who could that be? Maybe a Chris Olave in New Orleans, maybe a Jordan Addison in Minnesota — guys that are nearing the end of their rookie deals, where maybe their teams like the player but don’t plan on signing them long term.” Story continues below advertisement “So I think that that would be the sort of long-term buy that you would look at, where it’d be somebody … a younger player, where then maybe you are willing to give up big-time draft capital. But I don’t see them giving up high-end draft capital for some sort of short-term fix like a Trey Hendrickson.” Breer’s analysis is spot-on here in terms of the short- versus long-term element. Drake Maye is playing MVP-level football right now, but he’s still just 23 years old. However exciting the present is for the Patriots, their future is even brighter. The above plan outlined by Breer would be a smart way for the Patriots to approach the current deadline if sustained excellence is what they are after. Story continues below advertisement