A pair of New England Patriots veterans found themselves in trade rumors ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline.
This week, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Carlton Davis were mentioned as potential trade candidates by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. According to Breer, trading either player would give New England an opportunity to add needed draft capital while getting younger.
Speaking on Wednesday, head coach Mike Vrabel responded to the report.
“I think sometimes national reports
have the tendency to do that. I have not shared that information with anybody,” Vrabel said. “You know, this time of year, I think that all these things kind of get drummed up. So we’re focused on trying to prepare for Green Bay, make the corrections from the game. I mean, this is business as normal here. So, I don’t know where a lot of these things come from. Certainly not any conversations with me.”
Davis, 29, has played in four games this season while dealing with a neck injury. When healthy, he has occupied his usual starting role opposite Christian Gonzalez, with Vrabel highlighting his physicality and competitiveness.
Barmore, 27, has seen his playing time decrease slightly, playing just 50% of New England’s defensive snaps this season after logging 65% last year. The defensive tackle has been productive at times, recording 3.5 sacks, his highest total since 2023.
Neither player has guaranteed money remaining on his contract beyond this season, making a potential trade a realistic possibility. However, would dealing away two defensive contributors make sense for a 5-3 Patriots team with aspirations of competing?
“I don’t know. There’s probably a bunch of ways we can make this team better,” Vrabel responded. “You know, coach better, execute better, whether that’s [adding] guys on the streets or — there’s multiple ways. Again, we’d have these conversations each and every day.”
Vrabel said he doesn’t feel the need to discuss trade rumors with players, instead keeping conversations centered on football and the team’s preparation.
The NFL trade deadline is set for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 4 p.m. ET. With less than a week to finalize any moves, Vrabel’s focus remains on the present.
“Right now, there’ll be another week before the trade deadline,” Vrabel said. “We’ll be leaving for Munich next week. We’re focused on today and how we get better and how we can run the ball better, how we can affect the quarterback. All these things that if we don’t do, it’s going to be tough.”
