With the NFL trade deadline coming up on Nov. 10, the rumor mill is starting to work overtime. And one member of the New England Patriots is among the names recently mentioned: defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
According to a report by Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the veteran defender “could be had” via trade in the coming two weeks:
The Patriots are deep in the AFC race, but veteran DT Christian Barmore could be had, having played only 41.9% of the team’s defensive snaps, falling behind Milton
Williams and Cory Durden in the team’s rotation.
As noted in the excerpt, Barmore has been on the field for 41.9% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps this season — 13th most on the team overall and third among defensive tackles behind the aforementioned Milton Williams and Cory Durden. In those snaps, he has registered six tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. His 12 combined quarterback pressures are ranked second among New England’s interior linemen behind only Williams’ 14.
Whether or not that production is living up to his $17.1 million salary cap number is up for debate, however. Fact is that New England, currently ranked near the bottom in available cap space, could create significant savings by moving on from the 27-year-old: depending on the timing of a hypothetical trade, as much as $8 million could come off the Patriots’ books this year, plus almost $41 million the next two seasons.
Whether that is enough for the team to put Barmore on the trade market will be seen — something that also is true for potential compensation. The Patriots getting the same haul the Titans received for fellow DT Jeffery Simmons, who was traded to Chicago for a package involving two first-round draft picks, is doubtful.
The Patriots will travel to Miami this weekend to play the Dolphins.
