The New England Patriots saw Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline pass without making any moves. Speaking on Wednesday, Mike Vrabel had an unexpected analogy for his team’s inactivity level.
“I would say that deals are like being pregnant,” he said. “You either are or you aren’t. It’s either a deal or it’s not, so I don’t know how close you can be.”
Despite not making any moves, that did not mean New England’s phone lines were quiet.
“I know that everyone worked hard, that we investigated, looked in, made phone
calls and what personnel departments do,” Vrabel added. “And in the end, we decided that this was what we were going to do and decided to move forward with our preparation… I know that there’s a lot of action and a lot of talk. Again, it’s kind of where we’re at.”
Leading up to the deadline, Vrabel emphasized a continued long-term approach as they remain in the first year of building their program. While that vision remains the same, winning continues to be the most important aspect of their plan.
“I think we’re trying to build a program,” Vrabel said. “I think that’s part of the building a program. It’s finding ways to win, building a team and figuring out where the pieces are that we can continue to add when it makes sense.
“I don’t think this is a negative. I don’t think this is – this is just where we’re at. I know they worked extremely hard to make calls and have conversations, and then in the end, we didn’t do anything.”
Sitting at 7-2 and tied for the best record in the AFC, an aggressive deadline could have helped bolster New England’s roster over other top contenders. That factor was not one they considered as the focus remains in the present — starting with a Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“For us to sit here, think that anything is wide open and talk about playoffs, we’re focusing on our 10th game in a row,” Vrabel explained. “That’s what we’re focused on, is how do we get prepared on Wednesday? How do we get our bodies back? How do we get mentally prepared, physically prepared to go on the road to a place that is hard to play?
“That’s where our focus is. It’s not trying to predict the future of saying, “Well, it’s wide open.” We’re just going to keep focusing on what’s in front of us, and that’s what those conversations are about.”
