The New England Patriots have been named a potential trade destination for a veteran defender with ties to head coach Mike Vrabel.
Brian Hines of Pats Pulpit identified Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson as a possible target ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
The 32-year-old spent the 2024 season in Cleveland, where Vrabel worked as a coaching and personnel consultant.
Tomlinson is in the final year of his contract with the winless Chargers. He could give New England an additional veteran presence along the defensive line.
“Tomlinson has lost some of the pass-rushing juice he showed earlier in his career but remains a disruptive rotational piece,” Hines wrote Tuesday.
The Patriots enter the deadline at 5-4 following Sunday’s 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
They have until 4 p.m. ET to complete a deal.
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Tomlinson joined the Chargers on a one-year deal in March after spending the 2025 season with the Arizona Cardinals.
He started all 17 games for Arizona last year, recording 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack.
Before that, the former second-round pick played two seasons in Cleveland. The Browns led the NFL in total defense in 2023, allowing 270.2 yards per game.
Tomlinson has worked against the run for much of his career. His size and experience could help a Patriots defensive front that hasn’t nailed down consistency at times.
Money may make the deal possible.
Hines noted that Tomlinson has roughly $1.5 million remaining in cash owed this season. That’s much less than the approximately $6 million owed to Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart, another possible target.
New England has some Day 3 draft capital but dealt its 2028 first-round pick in the A.J. Brown trade.
A less expensive veteran could make more sense over a major investment.
Mike Vrabel Addresses Patriots’ Trade Deadline Plans
The Patriots have dwindling time to decide whether to add a defender.
Sunday’s loss exposed problems beyond their defensive line.
Green Bay finished with 478 total yards, including 129 on the ground. New England also allowed quarterback Jordan Love to throw for 372 yards and three touchdowns.
Vrabel made clear Monday that the team is focused on improving its roster.
“I want to see us do anything that we can with the roster that we have or potentially guys that aren’t here, to continue to improve,” Vrabel said, via Pats Pulpit. “That’s the focus here after nine weeks. We played some really good games, have been competitive, and then other days where it just wasn’t good enough as a whole.”
Everything considered, Tomlinson would hand Vrabel a solid player at a manageable short-term cost.
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