New England Patriots

Morning sports update: Adam Schefter gave background on the reported Patriots trade, said other deals are possible

Schefter said the Patriots have wanted to add Sanu since the offseason.

Mohamed Sanu dives for the end zone in an October game for the Falcons. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

4 minutes to read

The Patriots (7-0) dismantled the Jets (1-5) on Monday Night Football, 33-0. The defense was once again impeccable, holding New York quarterback Sam Darnold to just 86 yards passing and four interceptions.

Tonight, the Bruins are back at TD Garden to face the Maple Leafs in a rematch of Saturday’s overtime loss.

And on Wednesday, the Celtics begin the new season at 7:30 p.m. in Philadelphia against the 76ers

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Adam Schefter talked about the reported Patriots trade: On Tuesday morning, in the immediate aftermath of another impressive win, the Patriots also reportedly made a trade.

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As ESPN’s Adam Schefter initially reported, the Patriots traded a second-round draft pick to the Falcons for wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Shortly after breaking the news, Schefter joined WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” to discuss —among other things — the recent trade, and it’s impact on potential future moves from the Patriots prior to the Oct. 29 NFL trade deadline.

Schefter noted that the Patriots have been actively trying to acquire the 30-year-old receiver for a while.

“Well they’ve been trying to get him since before the draft,” said Schefter. “They offered a [second-round pick] before the draft, and the Falcons turned them down. The Falcons were in a different spot then than they are today, losing games. And again when Atlanta lost on Sunday, and it’s clear that they’re not going to be making the type of run that they’d like to, the Falcons decided to make the move. I think the two sides then began intensifying discussions on maybe Sunday night, maybe Monday, and basically put the framework in place to get this done.”

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Asked if the price of a second-round pick was too steep for Sanu, Schefter said that the situation of other teams’ needs forced New England to make it a higher pick.

“That’s the market,” Schefter explained. “I believe that if the Patriots weren’t going to pay that price, I think that other teams — I don’t know if they were going to go with a [second-round pick], but keep in mind the Patriots’ two is like a [third-round pick] to other teams — so that’s the price of doing business. And…if New England wasn’t going to step up, there would’ve been other teams that would’ve stepped up. There are a number of other teams seeking wide receiver help. So that was what New England was going to have to pay to get this guy.”

“I would imagine he’ll make his debut Sunday against the Browns,” Schefter added.

The Patriots still could use some help at both tight end and offensive line, though it’s unclear if more deals are in the works.

Schefter explained that the mentality of Bill Belichick and his staff is to always explore the possibility of other moves.

“I don’t think they’re ever done,” Schefter noted. “I don’t know how likely it is that they’ll make another move, but I won’t be surprised. Bill will continue to make calls and they’ll continue to sift through it. And by the way, you mentioned offensive line, you mentioned tight end, you mentioned those other positions, it’s not like they don’t need help at those spots anymore. If they can find help that makes sense, they’ll do it. They’ll be on the phone from now through the trade deadline next Monday at 4 p.m. EST. And they’ll see if they can get anything done, and if they can, I’m sure that they’ll make more moves.”

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Trivia: Sony Michel rushed for three touchdowns on Monday night against the Jets, marking the second time in his Patriots career that he’s had a hat trick of scores (the other coming against the Chargers in the playoffs last season). Before Michel, who was the last Patriots running back to score three rushing touchdowns in a game?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: It happened in an opening night loss to the Chiefs in 2017.

More from Boston.com:

The Patriots defense and overall dominance, in stats

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On this day: In 1975, the Reds defeated the Red Sox 4-3 in Game 7 to win the World Series. It concluded one of the greatest Fall Classics in history — including Carlton Fisk’s iconic home run to win Game 6 — yet it was another disappointment for Boston fans.

Daily highlight: Tom Brady’s first-quarter touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett helped to break the game open early for the Patriots.

Trivia answer: Mike Gillislee

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