The 2025 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, but the questioning of the Patriots' decision not to make any deals before time expired continues to be questioned. Although it seemed to prove that they're comfortable with who they have on the roster, as they have been the ones to lead them to a seven-game win streak, there are a lot of vulnerable areas on the roster that could have, and maybe should have, been addressed.
Among the biggest weaknesses has been the backfield. At the start of the season, it looked like they were in need of major upgrades at the running back position because Rhamondre Stevenson's fumbling issue reared its ugly head. Then, Antonio Gibson tore his ACL and will be sidelined for the rest of the season, eliminating one of the most reliable members of the RB group.
Now that Stevenson is injured and rookie TreVeyon Henderson has been given the starting role, things look a lot more bleak, and it appeared to be getting even worse during Sunday's game, as backup RB Terrell Jennings suffered an injury that took him out of the game for the second half.
Given their limited depth at a crucial position, it might be fair to state that the new regime in New England made a big mistake by not getting another veteran in the door before the deadline.
The Patriots' standing pat at the trade deadline could prove to be more harmful than initially thought
The offense faced the same kind of struggles they've been dealing with all season by not being able to establish the run early and often. In the first half, the Patriots' backfield ran for just 34 yards total, with the biggest run coming from TreVeyon Henderson, who recorded 16 yards on his first snap.
The rookie eventually scored two incredible touchdowns during the game, one for 55 yards and the other for 69 yards, to ultimately become the game winner, finishing with 14 carries for 147 yards. But beyond Henderson, the next up on the stat sheet (not counting Maye) is Jennings with four carries for five yards.
That's going to be a problem for this offense in the second half of the season. We've already started to see cracks in the game plan, with no run game to be utilized or relied on, and Sunday's game against the Bucs proved it is hurting Maye's performance, as he put together one of his worst of the season.
If they're hoping to be a legitimate playoff contender —which they're on track to be —they'll need to figure out how to improve their production, especially if Stevenson is going to be out long-term.
Although they can't make a trade for a player now, there are intriguing free agents they could consider signing. They might not be the biggest stars, but that's not necessarily what the Patriots need right now. They need depth and production, and players like Gus Edwards, Zack Moss, or Jamaal Williams could provide it.
At this point in the season, it's a risk to sign players who haven't been signed through the first 10 games of the year, but it's also a risk to continue going the rest of the year without more help at running back. So the Patriots will have to decide which risk they're willing to take, and it seems pretty clear.