The New England Patriots are reportedly looking to “potentially add talent” at wide receiver, defensive tackle or offensive tackle prior to the Nov. 5 trade deadline, per NFL insider Josina Anderson.

This hasn’t been a good season in New England, a fact that was never more notable than when head coach Jerod Mayo called his team “soft” after a 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London that dropped the Pats to 1-6. That loss capped a brutal stretch in which the team lost four of five games by 17 or more points.

The win certainly brings good vibes to the organization, especially against an AFC East rival. But a report that the team is looking to add talent at the trade deadline is interesting on the surface.

At 2-6, the Patriots are far from contention for a playoff berth at three games out right now with seven to go. And the fact of the matter is the team just snuck by a bad Jets team that’s 2-6 itself. New England did not become a juggernaut overnight.

From a longer-term point of view, the Patriots didn’t enter this season with great expectations after a 4-13 season in 2023 capped the otherwise storied Bill Belichick era.

Mayo entered his tenure with a team in need of a serious rebuild, and the Pats decided to construct that process around rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Ultimately, the most important takeaway this season is how Maye will fare (and he’s done well so far) and whether he can be a long-term answer. It appears that it could be, bringing to light the possibility of brighter days ahead.

But those don’t seem to be happening in 2024. The Pats have a rough road ahead, with two games still to play against the 6-2 Buffalo Bills, and six of their nine are against teams at .500 or better.

So it’ll be interesting to see if the Pats do stockpile talent at the trade deadline given all these facts. In the meantime, New England will look to go win two in a row on Sunday at the Tennessee Titans.