5 takeaways from non-eventful Patriots' trade deadline

1. The Patriots have a plan, and they’re sticking with it

It is a testament to the overall belief in Mike Vrabel’s vision that the Patriots were willing to stare straight at the trade deadline and say, “No thank you.”

They have a serious plan in place, and they weren’t willing to swerve off that path due to the team winning more games than initially expected. One of the biggest problems for the Patriots in recent years is the fact that they’ve had one of the worst rosters in the league from a talent perspective.

Vrabel has done a tremendous job of adding pieces in the offseason and coaching up the players currently on the roster. Imagine how good the results could be with an even more talented roster with the sort of depth that could facilitate a perennial Super Bowl contender.

2. It takes two teams to make a trade

The Patriots reportedly called around and gauged the trade market before the deadline. Just because they didn’t make a move doesn’t mean they weren’t active. People often forget that it takes two teams to make a trade.

Vrabel wasn’t in the business of forcing a trade for the mere sake of making a splash. If the trade made sense, he likely would have gone through with the move. If it didn’t make sense, he was probably quick to move away from it.

3. Draft assets matter

Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas are two of the Patriots’ most productive wide receivers. Both were taken in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. Vrabel has compiled 10 picks for the 2026 NFL draft, leaving him with plenty of ammunition to continue to find upgrades for the roster.

The Patriots are still a young football team with plenty of question marks, even if they are playing great at the moment. It wouldn’t make much sense to start dumping premium assets on aging veterans in hopes of it being good enough to put the team over the top as a contender.

Why not build a more sustainable roster from the ground up that will be capable of competing for years to come?

4. Lack of moves adds even more intrigue to next year’s free agency

The Patriots will likely enter free agency next year with the most money to spend, which is impressive for a team that has looked like one of the best in the NFL to this point. They’ll have a chance to add even more firepower to an already talented roster without forfeiting draft picks in the process.

It’s the best of both worlds approach of retooling in free agency and still having all of their draft picks to take multiple shots at the draft board. Sitting pat at the trade deadline wasn’t the fun decision, but it was the responsible one for Vrabel.

5. Patriots are confident in what they have

It’s fair to assume that the Patriots are comfortable with what they already have on their roster. They didn’t need A.J. Brown, Trey Hendrickson or Breece Hall to knock off the Buffalo Bills at Orchard Park earlier in the season.

The fact remains that the Patriots can beat any opponent in the NFL if they don’t turn the ball over and commit dumb penalties.

Even if they make mistakes, they still have an emerging star at quarterback and a great defense to overcome them. They have a good enough roster to compete without forking over any future assets. That’s a strong position to be in when rebuilding for the future.