With the trade deadline creeping closer, Mike Vrabel isn’t shutting the door on the Patriots making a move.
New England is 5-3 with two weeks left before the bye, and the start has been even cleaner inside the division, where the Patriots are 3-0. But the next stretch is no joke, with Green Bay coming to town first and Detroit waiting after that. At the same time, the injury list keeps making life harder for a team that has already had to patch things together week by week.
That backdrop is why Vrabel’s latest comments on WEEI’s "The Greg Hill Show" stood out. Earlier in the season, he sounded more hesitant about outside additions. This time, he left the conversation open.
“I think we’ll try to do what we can to make the team better. I mean, we’ll see.
If there’s things that we feel like can help us, we’ll try to do,” Vrabel said. “I think this time of year everybody talks.
I’m sure there’s lots of conversations with all the teams and personnel people.”
It may not be a dramatic declaration, but it is a noticeable shift from a coach who had been more guarded about the idea of adding help. The Patriots have kept winning, but the depth chart has been under constant stress, and that reality is hard to ignore as November 10 approaches.
There are a few spots where help could make sense. The pass rush has been better than expected, but veteran support there is still on the table.
The running game could also use reinforcement, especially if TreVeyon Henderson’s availability stays in question. And it would hardly be a surprise if New England explored another pass catcher as well.
Still, the bigger picture matters too. The Patriots have managed to keep stacking wins despite being stretched thin, and that should give them some confidence about what’s already in the building. They are not as loaded as some of the other AFC contenders, which is exactly why adding useful pieces could raise the ceiling.
A blockbuster swing, like a trade for Maxx Crosby, feels unlikely. But that doesn’t mean the Patriots are out of the market entirely. Depth upgrades and useful role players would fit the kind of team Vrabel has tried to build.
That would also mark a different tone from the one he had when New England stumbled early, dropping two of its first three while Drake Maye looked far from his best. Back then, Vrabel wasn’t interested in leaning on outside rescue missions. Now, with the season stabilizing and the deadline nearing, he at least sounds willing to listen.
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