In a stunning development that appears to be unprecedented in the NFL, two major stars, each with multiple Pro Bowl selections, demanded trades from their respective teams within 24 hours of each other from Thursday to Friday this week.
The two disgruntled players, Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons and Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, would both fill needs for the New England Patriots, as they would for several teams. But the Patriots are unique because New England still has the most remaining cap space in the NFL.
Patriots Large Cap Space Total Offers Opportunity
With nearly $60 million remaining to spend this year, the Patriots would likely be able to accommodate the large contracts that both players are likely to demand, possibly with room to spare.
McLaurin, especially, would bring a significant upgrade to the Patriots’ wide receiver room, averaging 77 catches per season in his six-year career from 121 targets (again, on average).
As for Parsons, last season with his 12 sacks in just 13 games he became only the second player since 1982 (when sacks first became an official NFL statistic) to score at least a dozen sacks in each of his first four seasons.
Vrabel Hit With Questions on Trade Demands
That level of production would be a game-changer for a defense that managed only 28 total sacks all last season.
It was not exactly surprising, then, that when Patriots coach Mike Vrabel met with the media at Friday’s practice session at Gillette Stadium, reporters immediately targeted him with questions about Parsons and McLaurin â and whether the Patriots would make bids to trade for one or both players.
Vrabel at the same time had a lot to say about the subject â and nothing to say, as he commented on the Parsons and McLaurin situations for the first time.
Vrabel Takes High Road
âIâm not going to comment on players that are under contract on other teams. Letâs focus on the ones that are here, that weâre working with. I mean, we see all these things happen in the National Football League, whether itâs the offseason, whether itâs before the season starts,” Vrabel responded, as quoted by Conor Ryan of Boston.com. “So, everybodyâs working with different situations, so those respective players and respective teams will focus on their situations, and weâll focus on ours.â
The closest Vrabel came to addressing the possibility that the Patriots could trade for Parsons or McLaurin or both was when he acknowledged that New England had least had the capacity to make those trades happen.
âIf something were to present itself that we would be able to do some things,” Vrabel continued, while quickly adding once again that, “right now weâre focused on the roster that we have.”
Patriots experts and analysts have not been quite as evasive, however.
Patriots Urged to Push For McLaurin
“If the clock struck seven on Thursday night and the Patriots hadnât already placed a call to the Washington Commandersâ personnel office, somebody isnât doing his job,” wrote Matt Vautour of MassLive on Friday.
The Patriots would seem to be in pole position to acquire McLaurin not only due to their available cap space, but because the team holds joint practices with the Commanders on Wednesday of next week leading up to the preseason opener with the two teams facing each other at Gillette on Friday.
According to Vautour, Patriots brass must use that opportunity to push for a McLaurin trade. If they don’t, and fail to make the trade for McLaurin, the Patriots will be blowing a huge opportunity, the MassLive writer said.
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