Are the New England Patriots sellers at the NFL trade deadline?
Last week, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer highlighted defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Carlton Davis as potential Patriots trade candidates
ahead of the deadline on Tuesday, Nov. 10. According to Breer, if a deal is struck, New England’s motivation would be centered around adding draft capital and transitioning into a younger roster.Though based on his response when speaking with the media on Wednesday, head coach
Mike Vrabel appears to disagree with that approach.
“I think sometimes national reports have the tendency to do that. I have not shared that information with anybody,” Vrabel said. “This time of year, I think that all these things kind of get drummed up. So, we’re focused on trying to prepare for [the Green Bay Packers on Sunday] and make the corrections from [last week].
“This is business as normal here, so I don’t know where a lot of these things come from. Certainly not from any conversations with me.”
Regardless of whether or not the Patriots strike a deal involving either player, trading almost any impact contributor on the roster while sitting at a 5-3 record at the regular season’s midway point is certainly questionable.
At the least, a deal of that stature calls for a corresponding “buying” move.
Sure, New England’s depth in multiple areas will be a largely discussed topic throughout the offseason regarding the team’s roster-building process. And rightfully so.
Vrabel said it himself after a preseason victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, stating at the time that he doesn’t think his team is “very deep.”
But sending away either Barmore or Davis simply doesn’t make sense at this time. Especially for a franchise still in contention for the AFC East title.
Trading Barmore creates another need
In 2023, Barmore posted his best season as a pro, recording 8.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and pressuring those passers 49 times. He also consistently disrupted opposing run offenses, forcing 13 tackles for a loss and totaling 64 combined takedowns.
That season-long performance earned the Patriots’ 2021 second-round draft selection a four-year, $84 million contract extension the following offseason.
Currently in year two of that new deal, Barmore’s production hasn’t entirely matched the monetary value of his contract, especially in run defense. From just last season, the 27-year-old has seen his involvement in that facet of the defense drop from 62.8% to just 36%.
Still, New England evidently continues to view Barmore as a producer when rushing the quarterback, heavily using the defensive tackle during pass-rush downs and critical third-down plays.
Barmore’s overall reduced role also doesn’t mean he’s expendable. Trading him shuffles the defensive line, forcing Cory Durden into a new, pass-rush-heavy role and 34-year-old DaQuan Jones, who has contributed as a relief piece for the primary starters, into a heavier workload.
Davis’ departure would leave a hole in the secondary
As for Davis, the cornerback hasn’t shown signs of regression. But the soon-to-be 30-year-old, entering the final year of his contract with a mighty injury history and owed $22 million in 2027, plays directly into the youth-movement argument.
Nonetheless, shipping him off to another franchise creates a glaring hole in the cornerback room. That decision then forces Vrabel and the defensive coaching staff to decide between starting substitute Charles Woods opposite Christian Gonzalez or pulling Marcus Jones away from his natural nickel-cornerback position.
With several offenses in the Patriots’ remaining schedule currently ranking top 10 in passing yards per game, that potential decision seems counterproductive.
Davis, who recently returned to the starting lineup last week after missing four games, played a significant role in New England’s divisional round victory against the Houston Texans in the playoffs last season, intercepting C.J. Stroud twice.
The offseason offers a better time to make a move
It’s true that the Patriots’ defense has struggled to deliver on the expectations surrounding their offseason additions of Dre’Mont Jones, All-Pro safety Kevin Byard and second-round pick Gabe Jacas. But much like the rest of the roster, that group has dealt with injuries.
Last week’s matchup against the Miami Dolphins marked the first game the starting cornerback trio of Gonzalez, Davis and Jones all played together since Week Three.
While the healthy defense didn’t put together a flawless performance, the unit signaled improvement, sacking Malik Willis on five occasions, logging an interception and forcing the Miami offense into four three-and-out possessions.
Teams can afford slow starts, and while there’s no guarantee New England will find its stride later in the season, the ability to play its best football down the stretch is what ultimately matters the most.
In Barmore’s case, as the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan put it, the Patriots seemingly want “out of the Barmore business.”
An offseason deal, rather than a midseason trade, allows New England greater flexibility to reallocate resources and explore replacements to replicate or improve upon Barmore’s production while spending less.
Even though eventually moving Barmore or another established contributor makes sense for the team’s long-term roster construction, the Patriots’ timing of a potential trade should account for the franchise’s current position in the AFC playoff picture.
