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The Patriots are 5-2, first in the AFC East, but filled with question marks concerning their depth in the wake of a season-ending knee injury to linebacker Jerod Mayo, concussions suffered by multiple offensive linemen and, the latest significant blow, news defensive end Chandler Jones will miss one month with a hip injury suffered in last week’s win over the Jets.

The Pats, according to reports, reacted swiftly by making a trade for Titans linebacker Akeem Ayers and signing free agent defensive lineman Alan Branch.

The Ayers acquisition marked the third straight year New England made a move at or near the NFL’s trade deadline, which is rapidly approaching on Oct. 28. Bear in mind, that’s awfully rare. Football’s trade deadline is nothing like those of the three other major sports, where dozens of players can change homes any given year.

The team’s most dominant pass rusher suffered a hip injury in Week 7 against the Jets, and the Patriots fear a worst-case scenario that could keep Jones out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season, according to a source. Best case, Jones will be out six weeks from the point of the injury, but they were not optimistic about the short end of the timetable upon the initial diagnosis.

If Jones could return after six weeks, it’s possible he could play as early as Week 13 against the Packers because the injury occurred on a Thursday night. But with the extent of the injury, those around Jones have already discussed the possibility that his regular season could be washed out, according to the source.

Jones leads the Patriots with 4.5 sacks this season and 22 quarterback takedowns since he was a first-round pick in 2012. His 16 sacks since the start of the 2013 season are the eighth most in the NFL.