Patriots Bill Belichick Addresses How ‘Close’ Team Was to Deadline Trade
FOXBORO — For the second straight year, the New England Patriots elected to ‘stand pat’ at the NFL trade deadline.
While several of their divisional and conference rivals seemed to be loading up for the stretch run, the Pats took a more tepid approach. Despite rumors surrounding the fate of receivers Nelson Agholor and Jakobi Meyers, running back Damien Harris and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, New England opted to keep the aforementioned players (all of which are in their final year of their contract with the team) in the Foxboro fold for the remainder of the season.
As a result, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots brain trust are wasting no time in putting the past behind them.
“We’re done,” Belichick told reporters on Wednesday. “Trade deadline’s over. That’s done. So, moving on.”
Though New England’s inactivity was a bit frustrating for some within the fan base, Belichick was careful to remind everyone that improving the team is an ongoing process, both pre and post-deadline. Despite being open to discussion, the Pats ultimately decided that making a move at this time was not in the best interest of the football team.
Still, that does not mean that the Patriots were proverbially ‘asleep at the wheel’ during the days and hours leading up to Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline.
"We're always looking to improve,” Belichick added. “We added a couple of practice squad players. It would be hard for me to say there won't be any roster moves between now and the end of the year."
The practice squad players to which Belichick referred are rookie offensive lineman Hayden Howerton and veteran punter Michael Palardy. Though each filled needs within the roster, neither can be considered ‘needle-movers’ for New England’s pursuit of a playoff spot.
However, with just north of $1.8 million in available salary cap space, the Pats were hardly in a financial position to be aggressive buyers in this season’s trade market. While trading away assets such as Wynn, or Agholor would have created additional cap space, their respective struggles, combined with recent injury histories, probably made finding a suitor for their services a difficult task.
When asked if the Patriots were close to making a deal on Tuesday, the ‘HC of the NEP’ was vague with his words, but clear on his intent.
“I don’t even know what ‘close’ means. What does that mean?” Belichick quipped. “I’ve had conversations that have gone on for months and nothing happened. I’ve had conversations that had gone on for 6-10 minutes and a trade gets done.”
With the trade deadline firmly in the past, New England now turns its attention to their Week 9 opponents, the Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6 from Gillette Stadium.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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