Patriots at 5-3 face trade talk on Barmore and Davis as Packers come to Foxborough

The New England Patriots reach the middle of the season at 5-3 with trade talk around two veteran starters, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and cornerback Carlton Davis. Head coach Mike Vrabel spent part of his Wednesday press conference pushing back on it. Writing for SB Nation's Pats Pulpit, Andrew Guindon argues that a team still in the AFC East race has no reason to start a youth movement now. In his view, moving either player before the deadline only makes sense if New England adds talent somewhere else in the same stretch.

Vrabel said he had not discussed the subject with anyone and that the week was "business as normal" while the staff prepared for Green Bay. Neither player has been traded, and no team has been reported as a buyer.

The case for keeping both players starts with who would replace them. Barmore signed a four-year, $84 million extension after his 2023 season, when he had 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. His snaps against the run have fallen this year, from 62.8% last season to 36%, according to SB Nation. The Patriots still lean on him on passing downs and on third down. Without him, Cory Durden would move into a heavier pass-rush role, and 34-year-old DaQuan Jones would play more snaps.

Davis is the easier fit for a rebuilding argument. He turns 30 soon, has a long injury history and is owed $22 million in 2027. Trading him, though, would leave New England choosing between Charles Woods as the starter opposite Christian Gonzalez or moving Marcus Jones out of the slot. The defense just got healthy: last week in Miami was the first game since Week 3 with Gonzalez, Davis and Jones all in the lineup. That day the Patriots sacked Malik Willis five times, made an interception and forced four three-and-outs.

The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan has reported that the club appears ready to move on from Barmore at some point. Guindon's view is that an offseason deal would give the front office more room to find a cheaper replacement than a midseason trade would.

What it means for Green Bay

Whoever is on the defensive line Sunday, the Packers come to Foxborough on Fox facing a New England team that has won two straight and four of its last five. The 24-19 win at Miami followed a 30-24 loss in Chicago. Before that, the Patriots beat the Jets 26-19 and the Raiders 45-17. Their losses have come on the road, at Seattle, Jacksonville and Chicago. They are 3-0 at home, a run that includes the 20-3 win over Pittsburgh.

The Patriots are favored on this site's game board, which tracks 12 venues. Novig lists New England at -160 on the moneyline and Green Bay at +156. On the spread, Novig has the Patriots -3.5 at +108. The best price anywhere is BetMGM's -110 at -3, so the difference between venues is the half point that sits on either side of a field goal. The total is 44.5 on Novig, with the over at -108 and the under at +102. theScore Bet has the over at -105 on the same number, and BetRivers has the under at 45. Sportsbook hold on the game runs from about 3% to 5.3%.

The early board for the following week's trip to Detroit is close to even, with Novig at -100 on New England and -130 on the Lions. More on the season is on the Patriots team page.