Mike Vrabel says he has not been the source of any of the trade talk surrounding Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis III. “I think sometimes national reports have a tendency to do that. I have not shared that information with anybody,” the New England Patriots coach said on Wednesday. “This time of year, I think all these things kind of get drummed up. We’re focused on trying to prepare for Green Bay. So I don’t know where a lot of these things come from, certainly not any conversations with me.”
The 5-3 Patriots host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, November 8, at 4:25 p.m. ET, which is 11:25 p.m. in Cairo. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10.
The trade reports
Albert Breer reported that the Patriots have discussed trading Barmore, a defensive tackle who signed a four-year, $84 million extension in 2024, and that Davis, a cornerback, could also be available. A reporter asked Vrabel about the reports and whether he felt he had to clear the air. “What I feel compelled to do each and every day is try to coach our football team, try to get the guys prepared,” he said. At this point in the season, he said, the job is finding “small little things that we can improve on.”
Vrabel did not rule out roster moves. “We’ll always try to look and see ways to make the roster better and make our team better,” he said. “That could be multiple ways. And we’ve had some moving parts here with the roster.” He said the Patriots have players coming back from the designated-for-return list and only so many spots, “so there’s certainly a lot of things that we have to look at with the roster.” Looking ahead, he said, “We’ll be leaving for Munich next week.” The Patriots play the Detroit Lions in Munich on Sunday, November 15.
Barmore and Davis: the conversations Vrabel says he has
Asked about the two players in particular, Vrabel described his coaching talks rather than their future. After Barmore’s half-sack against the Dolphins, he said, he pointed to “the same move he’s been making” and told him, “let’s continue to work this.” Barmore had one tackle, a half-sack and a quarterback hit in the 24-19 win in Miami. To Davis, who had nine tackles in that game, he said: “Hey, this is a good job in the run game, let’s be mindful of whatever else our technique is here.” “Those are the conversations that I try to have with all the players,” Vrabel said, and “I’ve asked the coaches to kind of do the same thing” eight games in.
Asked whether Davis has played as well as he did last year, Vrabel declined to rate individuals. “I think midway through the season is not the time for me to give a state of the union on each player,” he said. “I can tell you in our phases, I love CD’s toughness and his ability, the way he competes.” He turned back to the whole defense. “Defensively, we have to improve. I don’t think that was the standard, the way that we gave up X plays last week or let them drive the ball. Those are the things that we’re concentrating on: how do we create more turnovers defensively?” Of talking about individuals after eight games, he said: “I don’t think that’s fair to anybody.”
Illness, injuries and Harold Landry
Vrabel said he did not expect A.J. Brown to practice on Wednesday, and that Barmore and running back TreVeyon Henderson were away with an illness. “Those three guys probably won’t practice at all today,” he said. Asked whether Brown and his knee are a concern, he turned to Sunday: “My concern is about trying to prepare for the Packers.” Asked about linebacker Harold Landry III, he said Landry is “working extremely hard,” and that “whenever he’s ready, he’ll start to return to play.” He said Landry is doing work on the side with the strength coaches and trainers.
Looking at Green Bay
Vrabel said the Patriots want to carry the second half of the Miami game into this week, when New England outscored the Dolphins 21-0 in the comeback. “How we can carry over the second half of last week’s football game, where we looked like somewhat of the expectations that I would expect us to look like,” he said. On the Packers, he said, “nobody’s had more 20-yard pass plays,” and he praised the quarterback’s consistency: “He has a few off days, but they’re few and far between.” He said Green Bay’s receivers throw “shots of obviously great speed on the edges,” called Tucker Kraft an “excellent tight end,” and said the Packers’ defense is “very physical.”
Kickoffs and the touchback rate
Asked why New England has only three touchbacks this season after a high rate last year, Vrabel said there is “a fine line between putting the ball on the 12-yard line and putting it on the two-yard line.” “This year I feel like we’re covering them with some energy, the way that I like,” he said. He pointed to a sequence against Miami in which the Patriots covered a kick, pinned the Dolphins at the 15-yard line, intercepted a pass and scored. “That was a pretty good complementary set of plays for us,” he said.
No published comments yet. Start the conversation.