NFL Rumors: Latest Buzz on Isaiah Wynn, Potential Patriots Trade Pieces

All 32 NFL franchises are trying to cut down their rosters ahead of the 2022 season. By the time the opening games arrive, there can only be 53 players suiting up for each team.

With only one week of the preseason to go, plenty of names are going to get cut. That's the nature of the business.

The New England Patriots will be among those releasing players, making some difficult decisions in the process. But they may have other moves in store, too, because trade rumors continue to swirl surrounding several names on their roster.

Let's start with Isaiah Wynn, the offensive tackle who was selected by New England in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft.

The 26-year-old had some trouble staying healthy early in his career, but he's coming off a 2021 season in which he played 16 games and made 15 starts for the team.

At this point, Wynn is projected to be the Patriots' starting right tackle in 2022. That is, if he's still on the team in a few weeks.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, New England has "talked with other teams" regarding a potential trade.

The team is close to the salary-cap limit, and the Pats would "like to use a surplus they might have at one position or another to alleviate that and maybe pick up a draft pick or two."

So, the Georgia product could be leaving New England and heading to a new team if a trade can be worked out. It's not a sure thing to happen, though.

"Wynn, though, is on a $10.4 million fifth-year option, which has made it tough to move a guy who, four years after he was drafted, is still seen as a tackle/guard tweener," Breer wrote.

Perhaps the Patriots will instead deal from a different position of depth. Breer also noted they "could potentially get calls" regarding one of their wide receivers. However, he doesn't see them moving Nelson Agholor, who has a $9 million base salary and $1 million in "per-game roster bonuses."

One receiver who could draw interest from other teams is Kendrick Bourne, according to Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston:

“I have spoken to enough people in and around the team to be able to feel confidently that the team likes [Bourne's] contract quite a bit. Because if you look at it for a starting-caliber receiver, it is very cost-effective. If you were to trade him, I think teams would covet him, no questions asked. Does that maybe make him expendable? Because I know receiver-needy teams have been calling the Patriots about potentially making a deal.”

The Eastern Washington product, who has a cap hit of about $6.4 million for the 2022 season, set career highs in catches (55) and receiving yards (800) while hauling in five touchdowns and playing all 17 games for the Patriots last year. He's also still only entering his age-27 season.

New England has a solid receiving corps entering the new campaign, a group that features Agholor, Bourne, DeVante Parker and Jakobi Meyers. But if the Pats feel they have enough depth behind them to still be successful, maybe they'll opt to part with one of those playmakers.

The Patriots play their final preseason game on Friday, when they travel to take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Preparations will then ramp up for the regular-season opener, which is a road matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 11.

What will New England's roster look like by that point? Nobody knows for sure, but speculation is bound to continue. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the Pats make a trade involving a proven player based on these latest rumors.