FOXBOROUGH – Would the Patriots really trade a starter while trying to compete for a Super Bowl?
That’s a question many had after Albert Breer, of Sports Illustrated’s MMQB, reported that the Patriots have made it known that defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Carlton Davis are available via trade.
Barmore is second on the team in sacks (3.5) and third in quarterback hits (seven). He’s started two of seven games played this season with defensive tackles Milton Williams and Cory Durden starting every game. Davis, who missed four games due to a neck injury, has started all four games played for the Patriots this season.
On Wednesday, Mike Vrabel was asked about the report and questioned why a 5-3 Patriots team would deal away contributing players.
“I think sometimes national reports have a tendency to do that,” Vrabel said. “I have not shared that information with anybody. That’s this time of year. I think that all these things kind of get drummed up. So, you know, we’re focused on trying to prepare for Green Bay, make the corrections from the game. You know, I mean, this is. Business is normal here. So I don’t know where a lot of these things come from. Certainly not any conversations with me.”
The NFL trade deadline is next Tuesday. Vrabel’s team has been dealing with a laundry list of injuries and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots swing a trade to add more depth.
However, it would be slightly surprising to see the Patriots become sellers at the deadline. With Barmore and Davis, both players have contracts that will make them expendable. Barmore’s cap hit rises to $23.6 million next year. The Patriots will free up $16.4 million by releasing him in the offseason.
Davis’s cap number is $22 million in 2027. The Patriots would save $16.5 million by releasing him next offseason.
When asked by MassLive on Wednesday if he’s seen the trade rumor, Davis replied, “I don’t know. I got no comment on that.”
Vrabel was asked if he talked to Barmore or Davis about the reports. The Patriots coach said he spoke with Barmore about the sack he made in Miami and talked with Davis about his technique when it comes to playing man or zone coverage.
Does Vrabel think the Patriots could improve their team by trading away players?
“We’ll always try to look and see ways to make the roster better and make our team better,” Vrabel said. “That could be multiple and we’ve had some moving parts here with the roster and guys going off the roster on the practice squad got guys coming back from designated for return. You only get so many of those spots. There’s certainly a lot of things that we have to look at with the roster.”
Here are the top takeaways from Wednesday at Gillette Stadium:
A.J. Brown still out
The news doesn’t look great for A.J. Brown, but Vrabel was tight-lipped about the receiver.
Brown wasn’t at practice on Wednesday after missing the end of last week and Sunday’s game in Miami with a knee injury. The receiver returned to the Patriots three weeks ago after a four-week stint on injured reserve due to an ankle injury.
Now, after playing two games in five days, Brown is dealing with a nagging knee injury. When asked if this issue will land Brown on injured reserve again, Vrabel wouldn’t say.
“Again, I can just speak on today and where he’s at today and what we feel like he can do today,” Vrabel said. “So that’s why I said he wouldn’t be out there today.”
When the Patriots traded for Brown in June, de facto general manager Eliot Wolf told Yahoo Sports that the team knew that the receiver had a degenerative knee issue. On Wednesday, Vrabel was asked if there was a level of concern over Brown’s current knee injury.
“My concern is about trying to prepare for the Packers,” Vrabel said. “That’s really my only concern is trying to figure out what we do today on first and second down and how we practice and how we can carry over the second half of last week’s football game where we look like somewhat of the expectations that I would expect us to look like. Those are my concerns and try to figure that out. And then, you know, certainly the health of the team is critical, but we have to make sure that the guys that are practicing are preparing for Green Bay.”
After practice, Drake Maye said Brown is working hard to return.
“I know he’s working hard to get back,” Maye said. “And I think it’s just something where he knows that he wishes he was out there. He’s working, and we know that how much he can help us. So, it’s just trusting him getting back and trusting in the Lord and putting his work in. Just keep on attacking each every day, one day at a time.”
Lots of important players absent
The Patriots missed a handful of contributing players at Wednesday’s practice.
Along with Brown, running back TreVeyon Henderson (illness), defensive tackle Christian Barmore (illness), tight end Hunter Henry (foot), edge rusher Gabe Jacas (knee), edge rusher Dre’mont Jones (shoulder) and tackle Morgan Moses weren’t spotted during the media’s portion of practice.
Vrabel noted that Henderson and Barmore weren’t with the team, but left the door open for other players to join the team later in practice.
“There’ll be some other guys that will come out later in practice after the immediate availability,” Vrabel said. “But those three guys (Brown, Barmore and Henderson) probably won’t practice at all today.”
Added depth is on the way
Receiver Mack Hollins and guard Greg Van Roten returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since being on injured reserve.
Hollins had a nice start to the season, catching 15 passes for 209 yards in the team’s first four games. He was the Patriots leading receiver before suffering a shoulder injury in Week 4.
“Looking forward to seeing throughout the week how he’s looking,” Maye said. “And I think anytime that you get A guy like Mack, who is a veteran in this league, a classic Tar Heel, does things the right ways, and he’s smart. He’s easy to throw to. And does a lot of things the right way. It’s comforting, definitely, having 13 out there and looking forward to seeing whenever he gets a chance to, whether it’s this week or down the road, get back.”
His addition is necessary. With Brown out, the Patriots have three healthy receivers (DeMario Douglas, KyleWilliams and Efton Chism III) on their 53-man roster.
Van Roten started the season as the Patriots top backup guard. He replaced Michael Onwenu when he suffered a broken ankle. Van Roten started his first game for the Patriots in Week 3, but suffered a thigh injury in that contest and landed on injured reserve.
The Patriots have turned to Matt Pryor at right guard as well as Ben Brown and Walter Rouse at left guard in Van Roten’s absence.
Will Harold Landry return?
Veteran edge rusher Harold Landry hasn’t practice with the Patriots since Super Bowl 60.
After missing the entire offseason, the Pro Bowl pass rusher started this season on the physically unable to perform list. As the Patriots enter November, Landry still hasn’t been seen by the media in the locker room or near the practice field.
On Wednesday, Vrabel said Landry was working as hard as he could to come back but wouldn’t say for certain that the veteran would join his teammates.
“I would say that anybody that’s still here and that’s getting treatment is tracking (to return),” Vrabel said. “How quickly they track or what that pace is. I don’t know. I just know that he’s working extremely hard and like I’ve said a few times before, whenever he’s ready, he’ll start to return to play or he’ll start that process which he’s doing some things on the side, he’s doing some things with strength coaches and the trainers and you know, I know he’s working hard.”
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