There's little doubt what the Patriots should do at the trade deadline Karen Guregian

The NFL trade deadline is just around the corner. Nine days to be exact.

The Patriots have already revealed at least one name to potential trade partners. According to a league source, linebacker Joshua Uche was acquired by the Patriots in hopes of signing a fifth-rounder in return.

At 1-6 and with the New York Jets on the roster, the Patriots' path is obvious. They should make deals to stockpile draft picks.

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Buying is not an option. The Patriots, who have lost six straight, are expected to be sellers across the board. And it looks like they're headed there.

Since the start of the new regime with vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and coach Jerod Mayo, they have preached drafting and developing. This is their model and approach to get the Patriots back to contender status.

That's also their primary avenue to develop quarterback Drake Maye, who has shown promise in his two starts so far. Given the oversupply of cap space, free agency will also play a role in bolstering the roster next season and beyond. But it will still be an uphill battle.

Until the Patriots become the destination for top free agents again, the draft will be their meal ticket. Because right now, playing for the Patriots has little to no appeal for high-end free agents.

As the November 5 trade deadline at 4 p.m. approaches, the Patriots will look to acquire additional draft assets. This gives them some flexibility to move around the board for the picks they want.

However, one NFL executive told MassLive he wasn't sure the Patriots would have to “move around much” to get a decent return.

The cupboard isn't full of desirable assets, but there are still a few players the Patriots should look to move. Uche falls into this category.

Competing teams can always turn to pass rush help. That's the appeal of Uche, who had a breakout year with 11 1/2 sacks in 2022 but hasn't done much since. He had three sacks in 15 games last season. He has two sacks in seven games this year.

The feeling in NFL circles is that the best Uche can get is a sixth-rounder in return. With top edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson opted out for the year, the Detroit Lions could be a potential suitor for the 26-year-old.

Besides Uche, who signed a one-year, prove-it deal to return to Foxborough in the offseason, what other players should the Patriots look to transfer?

They obviously have three options at receiver: Kendrick Bourne, KJ Osborn and Tyquan Thornton fall into this category.

Several teams have lost top receivers recently. The San Francisco 49ers will be without Brandon Aiyuk for the remainder of the season due to a torn ACL and ACL. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just lost Chris Godwin (dislocated ankle) for the season.

Bourne, a former 49er, seems like a natural fit for GM John Lynch given his familiarity with Kyle Shanahan's system.

However, the veteran wideout told MassLive on Friday that his hope is to remain in New England.

“I’ll let it flow, but this is where I want to be,” Bourne said. “I love it here. I want to help this place grow. But it's (for the Patriots) control. I have no control over it. I just have to focus on what’s in front of me and think about it that way.”

That means being a reliable receiver for Maye and helping the Patriots get out of the gutter when he isn't dealt.

Bourne said he is grateful for what the organization has already given him.

“They helped me get to a point in my career where I improved in life and as a player,” Bourne said. “Maybe the stats don’t show it and things like that. But I have grown as a person. There are things I love about what the organization stands for. That's where my heart is. It's to help this place get to where I know it can be. I can see the vision. I also love challenges. That's how I think about it. It’s a challenge to grow here and that’s where my heart lies.”

Osborn, meanwhile, told reporters he felt the Patriots were following a youth movement that prioritized time for young players. With second-year receivers Pop Douglas and Kayshon Boutte and rookie Ja'Lynn Polk getting most of the work, that has kept Osborn off the field lately. So he probably wouldn't mind being handed it out.

“It is extremely difficult. It’s frustrating,” Osborn said Wednesday. “Many things are out of my control. No matter what performance or something similar. The organization will do what is best for them. And for us. So this is something I can't control. I can control what I can do: my attitude, my effort, coaching the young people while they are out there, helping them with my experience.”

As for Thornton, the rushing 2022 second-round pick was a bust. A team could attack him hoping to take advantage of his 4.2 speed. There's just not much to show.

On Friday, Mayo announced that Thornton would play against the Jets on Sunday. Either the Patriots give him another chance or they try to increase his value.

Like Uche, veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones could be another who draws interest from a contending team because he plays what is considered a premium position. At 31, he may not be at his best yet, but his ability to mark the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver makes him one of the Patriots' top trade candidates. He could also be attractive given his versatility to play on the boundary or inside the slot.

This season he has 27 tackles, three passes defensed and one forced fumble.

In a space where the Patriots have lost many of their captains and leaders to injuries (Ja'Whaun Bentley, David Andrews) or non-football incidents (Jabrill Peppers), it would be difficult to part ways with the highly regarded Jones.

He is one of the few remaining players from the second decade of Super Bowl victories, as Jones was part of the 2016 and 2018 championship teams.

He is in the final year of his contract and is currently battling a shoulder injury. He knows how the trade deadline works. And he has a pretty good idea of ​​where the organization is headed with its youth movement.

The goal is next season and beyond. The goal from now on is to support Maye with a more competitive team and give him a better chance of success. If an opposing team is willing to overpay or offer reasonable value in return, trading parts is the way to go.

The Patriots really don't have much of a choice.