Despite the growing trade rumors surrounding New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Carlton Davis III, ESPN's Mike Reiss isn't convinced that the team is actively shopping the two veteran defenders.
When appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Hardy
, Reiss admitted he wouldn't rule out the team being willing to listen to offers, but he doesn't believe it runs much deeper than that."I don't know if I would go as far as to say that they are shopping either of those players. And I know this might be semantics—listening, if someone was interested," said Reiss. "I'm skeptical that another team would be interested in Christian Barmore based on the salary and, if I'm being honest, sometimes you watch the games and the impact
isn't always there.
"...To me, I file it more into the there's a lot of conversations that teams have with other teams. Those names come up. But I don't sense it's like an active, 'Let's get rid of these guys,' or other teams saying, 'Let's go get those guys.'"
The Patriots are 5-3 on the season with a legitimate shot at making the playoffs and pushing for another Super Bowl run. On paper, it doesn't make much sense for the team to suddenly turn into sellers at the middle of the season.
They'd obviously love to get more out of Barmore, who signed a four-year, $84 million extension back in 2024. But he is also a strong part of their defensive front rotation, and it's hard to envision another team willing to take on that contract.
As for Davis, the talent drop-off behind him would be even more severe, and that kind of move could cause real defensive issues for the Patriots in the latter stretch of the season. Unless the Patriots have an immediate way to add to their roster, it wouldn't make much sense for them to start subtracting halfway through the season.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Patriots insider pours ice water on trade rumors about top defenders
