K.J. Osborn's career with the New England Patriots has not gotten off to a great start.
The Patriots signed Osborn in NFL free agency back in March. He was a productive No. 3 wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings last season, tallying 48 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. Coming to New England was a chance for a larger role.
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But that hasn't materialized so far.
Osborn has played in five of the Patriots' seven games this season. He has tallied just seven receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown.
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The veteran wideout was asked Wednesday if he'd like to be traded, and his response was interesting.
"That's like an alley-oop," Osborn told reporters, including our Patriots Insider Phil Perry. "This is where I am. This is the place that I signed to be. A lot of things are out of my control. But I like to be where my feet are. Today I’m here. Will just kind of rock with it as it goes.”
When asked if it's frustrating to be on a team that's focused on developing young players, Osborn gave a candid response.
"It’s extremely difficult. It’s frustrating," Osborn said, via Perry. "A lot of that stuff is not in my control… The organization is going to do what’s best for them. Or I would say for us."
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Osborn also had an interesting answer when asked about being told he wouldn't be active for last week's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. He ultimately ended up playing after rookie wideout Javon Baker was officially listed as inactive due to illness. The Patriots lost 32-16.
"Hell yeah. Hell yeah. It’s different," Osborn added. "This year has been different for me… I feel like I’ve been a solid player in this league. It’s kind of something that we’re working through right now. We’ll see."
The Patriots do need to develop some of their younger wideouts, most notably rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Baker, as well as DeMario "Pop" Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. But there should still be enough targets in the passing attack, especially with rookie Drake Maye under center, for a veteran or two to play a meaningful role in the offense.
Maye completed 26 passes in the Week 7 loss to the Jaguars but only six of them went to wide receivers. One of those completions was a 22-yard touchdown strike to Osborn in the fourth quarter.
If Osborn and/or the Patriots want to go in a different direction, the team still has a few weeks to consider potential deals before the trade deadline, which is set for Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET.
