Jakobi Meyers, a name that the Patriots had been linked to, was dealt by the Raiders to the Jaguars. And New England did end up sending safety Kyle Dugger to the Steelers and edge rusher Keion White to the 49ers prior to the deadline coming and going.

Tied with the Colts and Broncos for the best record in the conference, New England has a real chance to be the No. 1 seed in the postseason. The Patriots weren’t unwilling to deal, it just had to be the right deal.