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Patriots Trade Rumors: Malcolm Mitchell Shopped by New England
July 23, 2018
The New England Patriots are reportedly looking to deal wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported as much Monday, noting "injuries have been frustrating" when it comes to the University of Georgia product who missed the 2017 campaign with a knee injury.
Pelissero wrote that Mitchell could be the "odd man out in New England, even with Julian Edelman's suspension."
New England selected Mitchell in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, and he appeared to be well on his way to a productive NFL career when he posted 32 receptions for 401 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie campaign. He also caught six passes for 70 yards in New England's comeback Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
However, he never saw the field last year and missed an important opportunity to build on his early success.
Mitchell told Mike Reiss of ESPN.com in February he was ready to approach the 2018 season and make up for lost time.
"I'm feeling great," he said. "This offseason will be big. Obviously, I missed all of last season, and I won't shy away from the importance of making sure I'm ready when we start OTAs."
Despite his enthusiasm, the Patriots have plenty of talent at wide receiver even with Edelman sidelined for four games. Chris Hogan, Jordan Matthews, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kenny Britt and Phillip Dorsett provide enough cushion that Mitchell is apparently expendable if the price is right while the team is shopping him.