It wasn't all that long ago that the NFL trade deadline would come and go with nary a peep from fans or media. The nature of football and NFL rosters being what it is, the deadline just lacked the regular action that's become the norm across major sports leagues.

In recent years, that's changed.

The Athletic's Daniel Popper and Mike Sando dug into the numbers and found that there were 53 in-season trades made in the 11 seasons between 2004 and 2014. From 2015-25, there were 155. The trend has risen even more in recent years, with 100 in-season trades from 2020-25, up from 59 in the six prior seasons.

As a result, speculation, rumors and reporting have increased right along with the uptick in trades.

In New England, where the Patriots have been battered by injuries to an almost unbelievable degree, the fan base is certainly hoping to see Mike Vrabel and the front office pursue an addition or two to help buoy the team's place in an AFC that -- much like last year -- remains up for grabs.

And with the Colts and Titans getting the ball rolling last week by beginning to trade off some big-name players, a trade could go down at any moment for the Patriots before the Nov. 10 deadline. (With next week being a travel week to Europe, the team could be motivated to act this week.)

While it's anyone's guess whom the team targets if they do decide to engage in the trade market, we should be able to make some reasonable estimations about where they might look to help patch up and/or improve the team for the second half of the season and beyond.

Off the board: Wide receiver

With the injuries to A.J. Brown (missed Weeks 2-5, and missed Week 8), Mack Hollins (on IR since Week 5) and Romeo Doubs (on IR since Week 7), there's been a bit of a surge in fans hoping for the team to add to the receiving corps. That is not going to happen, though.

While the receiving trio of Kyle Williams, DeMario Douglas and Efton Chism won't be enough to beat any upper-echelon NFL teams, the Patriots will likely be getting Hollins back this week.

Doubs should presumably be able to return after the bye, and Brown's injury status -- while certainly concerning -- didn't seem to be season-threatening. Not yet, at least.

But the larger point here is that the Patriots gave Doubs a four-year, $68 million contract with $39 million guaranteed. They then surrendered a first-round pick and a fifth-round pick to acquire Brown, who's making $29 million this season. The team has invested about as much as possible in the position, in terms of dollars and draft capital. Throwing more draft picks at that one position right now would be unwise.

5. Tight End

Hunter Henry's departure from Sunday's game was a reality check for a tight end group that just lacks NFL experience behind the veteran. Eli Raridon has certainly been a bit of a revelation as a rookie, though Sunday's game being his worst of the season was not a coincidence. He's simply not ready to take on a No. 1 role, Cameron Latu has been more of a fullback than tight end, and undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin has barely played.

The Patriots didn't give any indication that Henry may be out for the long term, but still, a reliable, veteran tight end who can block and catch some passes would be a benefit for Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye. And given the relative value of the position, it shouldn't take too much to pry one away from a team that might be looking ahead to next year.

4. Safety

Last year, the Patriots were fortunate to have Craig Woodson (team-leading 93 percent of defensive snaps) and Jaylinn Hawkins (82 percent, third on the team) on the field all year.

This year, Kevin Byard has been an ironman (97 percent), but he's also 33 years old, with 182 NFL games of experience. Riding him for nearly every defensive snap is likely a losing proposition. Woodson missed Week 3 with a shoulder injury and was questionable for the four games that followed.

With Dell Pettus on IR, he could be a candidate to return. Without him, Jaylen Reed hasn't exactly performed the way Eliot Wolf sold it back in August, and Mike Brown and special teamer Brenden Schooler are the only other safeties on the roster.

Someone who could at least limit the wear on Byard while having some versatility to step in for Woodson, too, could prove to be a valuable addition for a top-10 defense that just needs some added depth.

3. Linebacker

Keeping with that theme, the Patriots are a two-man show at middle linebacker, with Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss ranking Nos. 1 and 2 on the team in defensive snaps, with both at 97 percent for the year. They've both been excellent, too ... but the physical nature of the position almost guarantees that they're going to run into some issues over the course of a 17-game season. Elliss already has, as he's been playing through a chest injury for five weeks.

Similar to tight end, linebacker might be an undervalued position in today's NFL. Envisioning someone stepping in as the 2026 version of Jack Gibbens feels like a reasonable goal, as it could ease the load that rests on Elliss' and Spillane's shoulders and shouldn't be overly costly.

2. EDGE

Wherefore art thou, Harold Landry?

That's the question that's been hanging over the pass-rushing group since the spring, as the veteran edge rusher has clearly had difficulties recovering from what was assumed to have been an offseason knee procedure. He remains on PUP, and the team hasn't given any indications that he's anywhere close to being ready to be activated.

Without him, the Patriots have generated a surprisingly effective pass rush. Their 22 sacks have them ranked tied for sixth-most in the NFL, so you'd think they may not need reinforcements.

Yet only 10 of those sacks have come from edge rushers, with Elijah Ponder tallying 6, Gabe Jacas contributing with 3, and Dre'Mont Jones recording 1. Defensive tackles have accounted for 9 of the sacks, with inside linebackers (1.5) and the secondary (1.5) filling out the rest.

Despite the 6 sacks, it's fair to make a case that Ponder is being held back a bit, considering he has to play on almost every passing down. He's taken over 76 percent of the team's defensive snaps thus far, a significant jump from playing 24 percent of the team's defensive snaps as an undrafted rookie a year ago. Jones missed the Jacksonville game with a shoulder injury and has seemingly hurt that same shoulder almost every game since, as he's clearly playing through pain.

Still, Jones has only taken 46 percent of the team's defensive snaps, and the team essentially has no usable edge rushers to play behind that duo.

Similar to the safety position, even if the Patriots acquired a player who's not necessarily an every-down impact kind of player, an addition would be significant solely to lessen the workload of the two starters at a position where depth is nonexistent.

1. Guard

Sorry. There's not much exciting about a team going out and getting some guard depth, but you must remember that the Patriots are deep into their guard depth already.

At left guard, Alijah Vera-Tucker is on IR with a hamstring injury. On the right side, Mike Onwenu broke his ankle and Greg Van Roten is on IR. The team has started Walter Rouse twice, after he was acquired at the end of August with zero career starts. Matt Pryor, who was claimed off the Cardinals' practice squad in early October, has also started twice. Ben Brown suffered a knee injury in the preseason, missed Week 1, and then missed Week 7 before coming in at halftime of Game 8, as he's clearly not 100 percent.

Vera-Tucker will probably return from IR. Onwenu will most certainly not. But with Jared Wilson doing fine at center, and with the Patriots having three playable tackles in Will Campbell, Morgan Moses and Caleb Lomu, the clear need for help is at guard. That's good news in this scenario, as finding guards is a whole lot easier than finding tackles.

Through Week 8, there are nine NFL teams with two wins or fewer and 14 teams with three wins or fewer. Four of those teams reside in the NFC South, so they may not be looking to sell. But everybody else should be fair game, and with most teams having two starting-caliber guards plus another high-level backup on the sideline, the Patriots should be active and aggressive in adding at least one more reinforcement to aid a ground game that could use a boost and, most importantly, keep Drake Maye upright as the team fights for a playoff spot.