The Patriots have spent the Mike Vrabel era squeezing value out of trades, and the pattern has been pretty clear: move on from players, collect picks, and keep the roster moving. Since Vrabel arrived, New England has made nine trades, and only one of them brought in a player - A.J.
Brown. The other eight sent players out the door, and in six of those deals, the return started with a seventh-rounder for a sixth-rounder.
That kind of low-cost maneuvering has already helped the Patriots add nine selections across the last two rounds over the last two drafts. It also leaves them positioned to pounce if a veteran becomes available at the right price. One name that fits the bill is Colby Parkinson.
Parkinson looks like the kind of tight end the Rams could eventually make available. Los Angeles has poured resources into the position, adding Terrance Ferguson in the second round last year, taking Ohio State’s Max Klare in 2026, and re-signing Tyler Higbee to a two-year deal in March. ESPN still lists Parkinson as the Rams’ No. 1 option at tight end, but the depth chart is crowded enough that he could wind up as the odd man out.
The 27-year-old signed a three-year deal with L.A. in 2024 and delivered a career season in 2026, finishing with 43 catches for 408 yards and 8 touchdowns in 15 games. His production spiked after the Rams’ Week 8 bye, when he averaged 3.6 catches and 35.0 yards per game, compared with 1.4 catches and 11.6 yards before the break.
All eight of his touchdowns came after the bye. In the playoffs, he averaged 2.7 catches for 50.7 yards over three games and hauled in the game-winning touchdown against the Panthers in the Wildcard round with 38 seconds left.
Los Angeles currently has eight tight ends on the roster, and if the way the team used the position last season is any clue, keeping four would make sense. Ferguson, Klare, and Higbee appear locked in, while Davis Allen played 50%+ of the snaps in seven of 10 games after the bye last season. Holding onto Parkinson would squeeze those younger players, especially with his 2026 cap hit sitting at just over $9 million.
That’s where New England comes in. The Patriots’ tight end room has already taken a hit after losing Austin Hooper in free agency, then watching blocking specialist Julian Hill go down with a knee injury that Vrabel called "devastating" before Hill was placed on season-ending IR on June 1. Rookie Eli Raridon has taken snaps in his place.
Raridon getting early work is one thing, but the Patriots would be looking at a different kind of move here: adding a proven veteran with real production while keeping the cost manageable. A trade built around Day 3 picks could be enough to get Parkinson, and his cap hit would drop to about $5 million after a deal.
It would also give New England some flexibility down the road. If Parkinson came aboard, the Patriots could let him walk after the season and keep building toward Raridon moving up the depth chart, much like the original plan with Hill. With Drake Maye on a rookie contract, a move like that fits the Patriots’ current playbook: get better now without paying full price.
In Other News...
Tyquan Thorntons Chiefs Comeback Push Just Hit A Brutal Twist
Tyquan Thorntons effort to carve out a larger role with the Chiefs took an unsettling turn in practice when the wide receiver was forced to leave with an injury. Thornton, who was waived by the Patriots before landing in Kansas City, had been working to prove he could become a meaningful part of the offense after his arrival with the Chiefs.
The immediate concern is the uncertainty around the injury, especially because Thornton was taken off the field in a cart. Until there is more clarity on how serious it is, the Chiefs are left to wonder whether one of their most intriguing depth pieces will be available to keep building momentum in a crowded receiver room. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have No Choice With Caleb Lomu After O-Line Trouble
New Englands offensive line picture got a lot shakier after the Patriots lost Andrew Rupcich to a season-ending lower-body injury and still have Ben Brown sidelined for now. The interior group was already a spot to watch, and now the depth chart has been thinned enough that the team had to bring in Joe Michalski and Darrian Dalcourt just to help patch things together.
Mike Vrabel is not pretending the options are limitless, either. With the line in flux, the Patriots may have to consider a more dramatic answer for first-round pick Caleb Lomu, whose path had been at tackle but could now include a move inside if that is what the roster demands. For a team trying to protect its quarterback and stabilize a unit already under strain, it is the kind of adjustment that could end up mattering a lot more than planned. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Need Greg Van Roten More Than Fans Realize
The Patriots brought in Greg Van Roten to steady an interior offensive line that took a hit when injuries started thinning out the backups. A veteran with plenty of NFL mileage, Van Roten wasted little time getting onto the practice field for the first time since joining New England, and the move gives the team another experienced body at a spot where depth can disappear quickly.
Mike Vrabel has already signaled confidence in what Van Roten can provide, pointing to his versatility and overall experience as reasons the fit makes sense. For a Patriots group trying to keep the middle of the line from becoming a problem, the bigger question now is how quickly Van Roten can settle in and how large a role he ends up filling once the games matter. [Read more 🡒]