With the news of the Trent Brown trade Tuesday morning, the Patriots offseason is off and rolling. While most attention is on which players the Patriots will bring in, any roster overhaul involves some players being on the out as well.

In what will be an unconventional offseason around the league, could Bill Belichick break routine and move some of his own players in order to expediate the retooling the roster is expected to go through? If that’s a route the Patriots explore, here are some names to keep an eye on.

• Isaiah Wynn

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  Honestly, Isaiah Wynn may have been expendable even before the Patriots traded for Trent Brown Tuesday morning. As he enters the final year of his rookie deal, Wynn has struggled to stay on the field, playing just 18 games over three seasons.
  
  With a clear replacement now in place, the Patriots could look to flip Wynn for a pick, then draft another tackle and essentially reset the development clock, having a guy on a four-year rookie deal instead of just one more season. Let Brown play out 2021, then the new draft pick slides in the following year.

• N’Keal Harry

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  Sometimes, plans just don’t work out when teams use a premium pick on a player. That’s the case with N’Keal Harry, whose struggles are due as much to the way the Patriots use him in the offense as they are anything else. With two years left on his deal, could Bill Belichick look for another team with a rookie in the same situation, and trade problem for problem?
  
  The 2019 NFL Draft is considered one of the best in recent years in terms of wide receivers, even though the top two receivers picked have had issues fitting in with their respective teams. Ironically, Harry and the only receiver taken above him, Marquise Brown, would probably be better off if they switched places. The Ravens need a big, physical, intermediate receiver with a large catch radius for Lamar Jackson, while the Patriots lack a guy who can truly stretch the field with his speed.
  
  Brown has had more success than Harry, so it might take a pick or two to get it done, but it’s become clear Baltimore needs to tune their passing game more for Lamar Jackson. If a chance of scenery wakes Harry up, he’d be a fit, and the Patriots could get their burner.

• Sony Michel

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  This isn’t to knock Sony Michel after the strides he made last season. He’s more of a victim of circumstance. Coming off of a strong end of the season, the 2018 first-round pick is entering the last concrete year of his deal, with his fifth-year option on the table this spring. Given the Patriots rarely pay early-down running backs, his time in New England is likely coming to an end soon.
  
  Keeping that in mind, could the Patriots look to move him before his deal runs out, instead of letting him walk for nothing? They’d be selling high on a player who ran for 6.1 yards per carry over the final three weeks of last season. If they find a team in need of a running back, who’s cap situation keeps them out of the premium free agent market, the return could be solid.
  
  With Damien Harris and J.J. Taylor in the pipeline, the writing is on the wall for Michel. Whether or not the Patriots have him play out the remainder of his contract is a situation that bears watching, especially with the option deadline looming in May.
• Chase Winovich

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  Chase Winovich is a good player, but there’s clearly at least some sort of disconnect between him and the Patriots coaching staff. His mysterious dips in playing time during the 2020 season are still unexplained. Whether it’s the reason for him being held off the field or not, Winovich’s fit is worth looking at - he’s more of a role-specific player (pass rusher) than players the Patriots usually have on the edge.
  
  In an offseason that could see Bill Belichick overhaul his front seven, could moving on from Chase Winovich be a part of the reset? He’s played well when he’s been on the field, and the Patriots might be able to fetch a good return, either in draft picks or another young player who is a better fit for their defensive scheme.

• Jarrett Stidham

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  There's been an increase in talk in recent weeks about the Patriots taking a mid-tier developmental quarterback in the draft, such as Kellen Mond or Davis Mills. If they do, it could mean a roster crunch for their current QB development project, Jarrett Stidham.
  
  Such a pick would pretty much mean the Patriots are done with the Stidham experiment anyway, making him expendable. Trading him likely wouldn't yield a massive return, but there's always teams looking for quarterbacks. A Day 3 pick is worth more than just letting him walk.

• Stephon Gilmore

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  It’s not groundbreaking to call Stephon Gilmore a potential Patriots trade piece, but this is a list of the top Patriots potential trade pieces, so it would be wrong to leave him off. At this point, the team dealing him sounds inevitable, the only question left is the return. Will they try to add a premium draft pick, or go player-for-player to fill a hole elsewhere on the roster?

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Patriots.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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