Six games in, we’ve reached the point of the NFL season where attrition begins to separate the true contenders from the pretenders.
The New England Patriots have been very good over their current three-game win streak. They’ve also avoided the injury bug that’s already crushing expected AFC powers like the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens in 2025.
In this league, you’re only as good as your roster depth, and the Patriots remain woefully thin in some key areas entering Mike Vrabel's revenge game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday.
Now surprisingly sitting atop the AFC East standings entering Week 7, the Patriots will be a fascinating team to watch at this year’s trade deadline, which arrives Nov. 4. New England’s depth at swing tackle, running back, edge rusher and cornerback should all be under the microscope for a front office equipped with a league-leading $54.6 million in effective salary cap space, per Over the Cap.
Vrabel is currently deploying a number of his former players with ties to Tennessee, including edge Harold Landry III, TE Austin Hooper, and LBs Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens. With the Titans (1-5) tanking and on the verge of a fire sale after firing head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, the Patriots could eye another Vrabel guy to poach during Sunday’s game.
Patriots reporter eyes Titans CB Roger McCreary as ideal trade deadline addition
New England’s cornerback room felt like a position of strength throughout training camp, but with Alex Austin struggling mightily in coverage to start the season, it would behoove the Patriots to add another veteran corner that they can trust.
McCreary could be that guy. The fourth-year pro was drafted by Vrabel’s Titans with the No. 35 overall pick in 2022, and he’s now in the final year of his rookie contract.
Karen Guregian of MassLive views McCreary as the perfect Vrabel trade target, as an injury to Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, or nickel Marcus Jones could spell major trouble for the Patriots’ defense.
“The Titans might be looking for a trade partner for the former Auburn star, as opposed to re-signing him," Guregian wrote. "He’s primarily a nickel corner. The Patriots could use help behind Marcus Jones. The cupboard is pretty bare at that position.”
To Guregian’s point, McCreary lines up in the slot on 85.5 percent of his snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He hasn’t been great in coverage to start the season, but he’s a sure tackler who could add force to New England’s already stout rush defense; through six games, McCreary has nine run stuffs on the season.
Adding depth behind Jones would make a lot of sense, as he’s blossomed into an irreplaceable piece on defense who doubles as one of the top punt returners in the NFL. Jones also has plenty of experience moving to the outside, so an addition like McCreary would certainly create options.
The Patriots have been a fun team to watch over the past month, but they’re also way ahead of schedule based on the overall state of the roster. The team was fortunate to avoid injury scares with Landry and Davis in recent weeks.
You could say this about multiple position groups, but adding force to the secondary feels like a priority as the deadline approaches.