New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has his work cut out for him in hist first season after taking over for Jerod Mayo.
But fortunately for the Patriots, Vrabel is no stranger to turning around mediocre franchises. Within his first two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, Vrabel had the team in the AFC Championship Game.
He led the Titans to four straight winning seasons, three playoff appearances, two AFC South division titles, and the No. 1 seed in the AFC before being fired in 2023 after a 6-11 season and replaced by former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.
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Vrabel steps into an enviable situation, though, with second-year quarterback Drake Maye, promising rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, and All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, plus the building blocks of a young, emerging defense led by defensive tackle Christian Barmore, linebacker Jahlani Tavai, and cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.
With over $59 million in cap space, the Patriots are poised to make a big move before the start of the regular season, and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah believes the team could be eyeing two of the league’s biggest stars at their position via trade.
“With Drake Maye on a rookie deal, it makes sense for NE to be interested in trading for an expensive star player,” Jeremiah wrote. “(Trey) Hendrickson or (Terry) McLaurin make sense but I’d call the Cowboys first & shoot my shot for (Micah) Parsons.”
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Parsons and the Cowboys have seemingly been on the outs for the last several months. The latest update from ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicates the two sides are really far apart on a deal.
The same can be said for McLaurin, who’s expressed his unhappiness with the Commanders’ unwillingness to give him a better deal, and he’s since requested a trade.
However, of the three players Jeremiah mentioned, Hendrickson just may be the easiest to acquire.
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According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Bengals’ asking price for Henderickson is a young defensive player plus a 2026 first-round pick. While a steep price, the Patriots could perhaps counter with a more realistic trade package considering they have the cap space to give Hendrickson the kind of contract extension he likely would want to facilitate any trade.
Hendrickson has one year left on his deal with Cincinnati that pays him a $5.8 million salary. His projected market value is closer to $28 million per year, according to Over the Cap.
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