FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots have the money. They have the cap space. And they are willing to part with top draft capital.
So why can’t the Patriots just go out and do whatever it takes to land Terry McLaurin, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and or whoever their heart desires in a trade?
Patriots VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden was asked that question Tuesday.
Both Cowden and Eliot Wolf, the team’s executive VP of player personnel, say it’s not as easy as some people may think to pull off a deal.
“I think Eliot (Wolf) put it in a good (way) yesterday,” Cowden said. “There’s so many layers and complications and little nuances about every deal. Whether that’s a little deal, whether that’s a big deal or it’s a backup player or maybe an elite player.
“Our job is to constantly come up with ideas, brainstorm suggestions about players at all levels. And the acquisition of those players isn’t as easy sometimes. It takes two sides. Sometimes the player has say. And we have to be really intentional about moves we make because any move we make sends a message to the rest of the football team.”
One would think trying to land an elite receiver like McLaurin, an elite pass rusher like Hendrickson, or a game-changing defensive player like Parsons would send a positive message.
Going back to free agency, the Patriots did try to woo some of the best players by offering top dollar on contracts. It worked with some (Mitch Williams, Carlton Davis III, Stefon Diggs) but not others (Chris Godwin).
Not everyone wants to head to New England and play for a four-win team.
Trades, however, are a little different, although sometimes, as Cowden mentioned, the player involved might have a choice.
“I think that’s something that ... trust me, we go through scenarios constantly multiple times a day to keep everything alive,” said Cowden, who worked with Vrabel in Tennessee. “Cuz in the end, how can we make the football team better? How can we go get wins on Sunday.? That’s what we all want to do. It’s just a constant process that involves a lot of layers.”
Ultimately, did Cowden feel the Patriots chief decision makers would be able to patch up areas of need ahead of the season?
“I do. I know we’ll fill them to the best that we’re capable,” Cowden said. “Do I feel like we’re going to be able to roll a unit out there and the 53 guys plus the practice squad players that’s going to allow Coach a chance to win a game? I do.”
Cowden said his view of the roster currently, with cutdown day a week away, is “ever-shifting.”
“As you see things happen, as you get injuries at certain spots, you may think you have depth in one area, then all of a sudden you’re thin,” he said. “So I think it’s a shape-shifting process.”
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