The Patriots were certainly in a good position last week to make a monster trade that could have changed the direction of the franchise. But when it came time for what was an earthquake of a trade in the NFL, with the Cowboys sending pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Packers in a blockbuster deal, New England was nowhere to be found.
The Patriots had a need at the position. They had plenty of cap space available to sign Parsons. They have a promising defense and a young group with upside in the AFC.
But ultimately, giving up draft picks–the Packers gave up two first-rounders plus defensive lineman Kenny Clark–just was not in the cards for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots. And the reason is downright depressing.
Patriots ‘Not Invested’ in Micah Parsons Trade
The Patriots just do not see themselves as being in position to cough up draft picks. And that’s evident because the team has pretty much squandered its drafts from 2021-24, a reality that just is a difficult thing to work around.
Asked about trading for Parsons on “The Greg Hill Show” in Boston on Tuesday, Vrabel said, “Great player but that wasn’t something that we really invested a lot of time or resources in. I think when you just try to look at what we feel like is best for us right now, that wasn’t entertaining that specific transaction.”
Patriots Not Deep Enough
Not a fit? Parsons is 26 and has recorded at least 12.0 sacks in each year of his four-year career, ranking as one of the best pass-rushers in the game. He is a fit on any defense, of course. But where Vrabel saw a problem is in the patriots‘ need to build a deeper roster and to do that through the draft.
Shipping off picks, even for a player as good as Parsons and even at a relatively bargain price, was not in the Patriots‘ cards.
“Maybe bargain price, I think we just have to be very smart on building this thing and I hope that everybody else sees it the same way outside of here,” Vrabel said.
“We want to bring in the players that we feel like give us the best chance but also we have to build some depth here to this roster and you do that from the draft and just, it hasn’t been—we’ll call what it is, it hasn’t been real great. The depth of the roster has not been through our draft the last handful of years and that has to change. We all know that, so we’ll focus on that when we get there in April.”
Micah Parsons Not as Important as Draft Picks
It’s important to remember that the 2025 Patriots are mostly built around free agents. Only three expected defensive starters came from New England’s draft from 2024 or before. That number is only five on the offense.
Of the team’s eight draftees in 2024, only two–Drake Maye and backup Caedan Wallace–will be on the 53-man roster. That must change before the Patriots start trading away picks for stars.
“We want to build it and make sure that we’re building through the draft,” Vrabel said. “And then, like I said, retaining the players that we feel like have developed and earned contracts. While Micah Parsons is a great player, it probably wasn’t the best fit or the right time, I think, for us.
Vrabel’s Depressing Reason Why Patriots Passed on Micah Parsons Trade