New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye stands on the sideline next to Eliot Wolf, team executive vice president of player personnel. Mark Stockwell/Associated Press

It’s been 80 days since Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf held a press conference.

If Wolf stood for another this week, after the team’s radio silent trade deadline Tuesday, it’s a safe bet he would harken back to some of his first comments as the Patriots’ front-office chief.

Speaking at the NFL combine, Wolf repeated two words when outlining the philosophy behind his new vision for the Patriots: draft and develop.

“I think there is going to be a little bit more reliance on playing young players,” Wolf said last February. “I think it’s really important to play young players and develop from within.”

Well, here we are.

It’s time for the Patriots to play the kids.

At 2-7, their playoff hopes are long gone. This season is officially about the future; playing today to bolster their chances of winning tomorrow. Laying a foundation. Jerod Mayo said so back in July.

“A successful season, in my eyes, is really about the foundation. Have we put together a good foundation of a combination of young and older players to really start competing?” Mayo said on the eve of training camp. “It would be great to get up here and say we’re going to win a Super Bowl. But once again, it’s about the process.”

In Tennessee, prioritizing development would explain one curious lineup decision and a few others related to playing time. The coaching staff moved Mike Onwenu, its best offensive lineman, to right tackle so fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson could start at right guard. Except that put Robinson opposite Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, one of the most dangerous defenders in football, who predictably pulverized the rookie and got him benched.

Before sitting out the second half, Robinson blocked for rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who scanned the field looking for rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

Granted, Polk, the prized second-round pick, lasted just nine snaps after taking two penalties and finishing without a catch. But Baker played on offense for just the second time this year, and received force-fed reps on kick return for a second straight week.

Another rookie rarely seen on offense, seventh-round tight end Jaheim Bell, also caught his first pass as a pro. It was a screen, where Bell was the only target. Why else would the coaching staff scheme a target for him if not in the name of development?

Again, this is the plan.

“I would expect this year, we will be getting younger as the year goes along, as opposed to the other direction; whether that means through attrition or injury or whatever,” Wolf said in September. “I think everyone (knows) we’re trying to win now, obviously. But there is an eye for the future, and developing this core of players that we maybe haven’t had the last couple years.”

OK, so what happened at Tuesday’s deadline? Why no trades?

Fair question.

It seems teams balked at the Patriots for trying to sell them on K.J. Osborn, whose days of averaging 615 receiving yards per season in Minnesota feel like ages ago. Osborn is not separating, not producing, not even seeing the field as part of the NFL’s worst receiving corps.

He was a healthy scratch on Sunday, when he stood on the sideline and watched Polk, Baker and second-year wideouts DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. Osborn should now be considered a candidate for release given his small salary, which also goes for third-year speedster Tyquan Thornton. The Pats have seven wideouts, and were kidding themselves if they thought Thornton was a legitimate trade chip carrying a career drop percentage of 13.3%.

Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones was an actual trade chip, despite playing out the final year of his contract at 31 years old. The Patriots, however, were reportedly reluctant to deal Jones and Bourne because of their leadership. The Pats need veterans like them to carry out Mayo’s message in the locker room, especially as the going gets tougher deeper into the season.

But the Patriots do not need Jones to necessarily play, even if he represents their best option opposite Christian Gonzalez. Jones played just 71% of their defensive snaps at Tennessee, rotating with third-year cornerback Marco Wilson. He had a 48% share the week before, and 66% the game before that.

Because while it’s not time to cut the cord on winning, it does seem the Patriots’ season has reached a new phase; one they telegraphed months ago.

First came the draft.

Now comes the development.