Welcome to the Friday Five!

Each week during the NFL regular season, I will drop five Patriots-related thoughts on Friday to recap the week that was in Foxboro and look ahead to kickoff.

Ready, set, football.

The NFL trade deadline is less than three weeks away. Most years, all the trade speculation inside and outside of team headquarters leads to little action.

But where’s the fun in that?

Odds are the Patriots will be 6-3 or 7-2 heading into the deadline, meaning they will be in a strong position to add to a likely playoff run. Their top priorities should be running back, edge defender, wide receiver and safety. My understanding is the front office will be protective of its draft picks in talks, still committed to the multi-year vision Mike Vrabel laid out upon his hiring.

That sai

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