The New England Patriots haven’t lost a football game since September, but that didn’t stop fans from feeling defeated at this year’s NFL trade deadline.
After shipping out Kyle Dugger, Keion White and Ja’Lynn Polk for some modest draft compensation, the Patriots felt like a team poised to add to a roster that’s extremely thin around the edges.
That didn’t happen. Head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that conversations took place, both internally and externally, but insinuated that his team wasn’t all that close to making a move before last week’s deadline.
Per multiple reports, the Patriots made calls on Miami Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, a former first-round pick who’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2026; he wound up getting traded to Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a third-round draft pick, with the bonus of Miami eating all but $1.