In the wake of the blockbuster preseason NFL trade that saw Micah Parsons dealt from Dallas to the Packers, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was asked whether New England–in need of pass rushing prowess–had been in on the conversations with the Cowboys to acquire Parsons. At the time, Vrabel said no, essentially because the Patriots just are not yet good enough or deep enough to be giving away draft picks to acquire stars.
That’s mostly because the team has been awful in the draft in recent years.
Said Vrabel at the time, on “The Greg Hill Show”: “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.”
Now, with the NFL trade deadline just three weeks away, it’s fair to wonder whether that tune has changed for the Patriots.
Patriots Position in Standings Won’t Affect Trade Approach
The case can be made for an aggressive trade deadline in New England.
Six weeks into the NFL season, the Patriots are 4-2 and sitting atop the AFC East, one of just seven teams that are over .500 in the AFC. The Patriots have improved dramatically since the rocky first three games of the season, and it’s clear that if things keep moving in the current direction, second-year man Drake Maye is the team’s franchise quarterback going forward.
Vrabel was asked this week whether the good start will change the team’s thinking about trades at the deadline. He was blunt–he’s not e4xpecting the Patriots to do anything splashy in the next few weeks.
“I don’t know if that has a bearing on it,” Vrabel said. “I think we’ll just continue to try to strengthen the roster each and every day. Sometimes those are small moves, maybe bigger ones.”
GettyDrake Maye of the New England Patriots
Patriots Hoping to Build Through Draft
Indeed, the Patriots have three games remaining before the trade deadline, and one of the tricky aspects of handling that period will be balancing the desire to win now against the understanding that this rebuilding program is still in its early stages.
Giving away picks is still an unappetizing choice for the Patriots, who do need help at running back and on the defensive edge, along with depth in the defensive backfield and at tight end. Those spots could be filled by adding players via trade, but the notion of draft picks heading out means New England isn’t likely to be involved.
Mike Vrabel Keeping Focus on Long Term
But what if the Patriots win their next two games (against teams that are both 1-5) and are 6-2 in the week before the deadline? If there is a player who is young and under contract, there might be an interest.
Vrabel indicated that the focus is still on the long-term building: “I don’t think that, right now, those conversations are centered around what our record is currently. I don’t think that that’s something that really bears into it.
“We’re building something. And if any of those things can help us build and strengthen us and allow us for long-term, consistent success, then I think that’s what we should try to do.”
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