What did the New England Patriots do to try to fix their injury-riddled roster at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline? Nothing.
The Patriots have stood by and watched as they lose player after player to injury, the latest being running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Both of their top wide receivers, A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, are out as is No. 2 running back TreVeyon Henderson.
The offensive line has also taken a beating, losing Mike Onwenu, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Greg Van Roten as well as Ben Brown who went down with a knee injury on Sunday.
New England let the NFL trade deadline pass without a deal, and made none in the days leading up to it, following a 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers that left them at 5-4, at risk of missing the playoffs the year after they went all the way to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
The quiet deadline day came after a week of rumors, and head coach Mike Vrabel spent that week signaling restraint.
“I’m sure we’ll listen and talk just like everybody else does,” Vrabel said, according to The Boston Globe‘s Ben Volin. Vrabel added that any move had to make sense for New England, wording Volin read as a sign that no blockbuster for the likes of Maxx Crosby, Jonathan Taylor or Brian Thomas was coming. And indeed it did not. Nor did any more minor deal.
Vrabel named no positions of need on Monday’s edition of WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show. He wants a roster of players who challenge each other, improve and take accountability, “and if that’s not them, then let us know by tomorrow,” Vrabel said, according to NESN‘s Jordan Greer.
National reporting pointed the same direction.
“Fireworks aren’t expected” from New England, according to ESPN‘s Mike Reiss.
Christian Barmore Rumors, Cap Space Shaped Patriots Day
Speculation centered on defensive tackle Christian Barmore. He sits third on the depth chart behind Milton Williams and Cory Durden, and his cap hits climb to $23.6 million in 2027 and $24.6 million in 2028, Reiss reported. Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer called Barmore “very clearly available,” according to Boston.com‘s Khari Thompson, and named cornerback Carlton Davis III as another possible trade candidate.
Reports indicated the Patriots sought a fourth-round pick for Barmore. Vrabel denied being the source.
“I have not shared that information with anybody,” he said, as quoted by the Globe. Yahoo Sports, meanwhile, argued for selling high on Barmore.
Reiss reported that New England holds about $5 million in cap space, with part of it reserved for practice squad elevations and injured reserve moves, which left no room for a higher-salaried player. Volin put the figure at $5.8 million in available cap space Tuesday morning and noted that restructuring contracts for Williams or Robert Spillane could free more. Neither happened.
The Patriots also sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles for receiver A.J. Brown in June, and Reiss reported an unwillingness to give up significant future assets after that. Any deal would more likely resemble modest Bill Belichick-era moves such as the 2016 trade for linebacker Kyle Van Noy, but nothing like that materialized either. A Wednesday departure for Munich where they will play Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, left little time to integrate a newcomer.
New England Patriots Outlook for Drake Maye Without Deadline Help
The group that played the first nine games must now carry the rest of the season. Stevenson will miss the Munich game with a knee injury that is not expected to require surgery, according to The Boston Globe‘s Nicole Yang. TreVeyon Henderson is also sidelined with an illness that required hospitalization.
Reinforcements are expected from injured reserve. Reiss reported that left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and receiver Romeo Doubs project as likely returns, and quarterback Drake Maye has thrown or run for at least three touchdowns in six straight games. A bye follows Munich, then a Week 12 trip to face the winless Los Angeles Chargers.
Pats Pulpit noted that the 5-4 Patriots still view themselves as contenders and held extra Day 3 picks to spend on depth. They spent none. Eight games remain, and the roster that lost to the Packers is the one that has to finish the year.
Did the Patriots Make a Trade Today? What Happened on NFL Deadline Day and Why