The NFL trade deadline came and went without the New England Patriots making a move. But head coach Mike Vrabel wouldn’t disclose whether the team was close to making a move or not.
When asked by reporters just how close the Patriots were to making a trade on Tuesday, Vrabel used an … interesting analogy.
“Deals are like being pregnant. You either are or you aren’t,” Vrabel bluntly said. “It’s either a deal or it’s not. So I don’t know how close you can be.”
Mike Vrabel with an interesting analogy 😂
That is a pretty black-and-white way to describe the trade deadline, which came and went on Tuesday. While Vrabel wouldn’t say just how close the Patriots were to making a move, there were reports that New England was in the market for a running back. The Patriots’ offense has been clicking with quarterback Drake Maye leading the league in completion percentage, but their running game hasn’t been as efficient as they rank 17th in yards per game (112.3) and 25th in yards per attempt (3.9).
In addition, veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson missed Week 9 with a toe injury. Rookies TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings stepped up, combining for 90 yards on the ground as the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-23. It was a promising showing from the young duo, but if Stevenson’s injury lingers, the Patriots might be left wishing they had gotten a running back — or in Vrabel’s terms, gotten pregnant — at the deadline.
Regardless, Vrabel has no regrets because he knows the front office did its due diligence.
“I know that everyone worked hard and that we investigated and looked in and made phone calls,” Vrabel said.
So instead of looking back at the deadline, the Patriots will look forward to their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Buccaneers. They’ll also try to beat out the Buffalo Bills, who they hold a half-game lead on, in the AFC East standings as they try to win the division for the first time since 2019.
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